Which to use
“lern” and “let” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #11,472
- “lern” frequency rank
- #11,088
- “let” frequency rank
- 22560
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lern | let |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs lernen | lassen |
Where the eye mixes lern and let
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: lern vs let
A purely visual mix-up. lern ([lɛʁn]) and let ([lɛt]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 22560, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lern is recorded at frequency rank #11,472, classified as averb, pronounced [lɛʁn]. let is at rank #11,088, tagged as averb, pronounced [lɛt].
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 22560, this pair ranks #1,872,698 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of lern vs let
Shared letters: el. Private to "lern": nr. Private to "let": t.
"lern" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "let" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- lern ← elrn · lenr · lernn · lerrn · llern · lren
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "lern" and "let" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "lern" or "let"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "lern" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "let" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,872,698 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "lern" and "let" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Lasern vs lern". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,872,698 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.