Which to use
“lesen” and “liken” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #506
- “lesen” frequency rank
- #39,513
- “liken” frequency rank
- 40019
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lesen | liken |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Schriftzeichen, Worte und Texte (mithilfe der Augen) wahrnehmen sowie (im Gehirn) verarbeiten und verstehen, sowie dies gegebenenfalls laut vorlesen | etwas nach seinem Geschmack finden, Wohlgefallen an etwas finden; jemanden leiden mögen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set lesen and liken apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. lesen ([ˈleːzn̩]) and liken ([ˈlaɪ̯kn̩]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 40019, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lesen is recorded at frequency rank #506, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈleːzn̩]. liken is at rank #39,513, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈlaɪ̯kn̩].
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 40019, this pair ranks #1,520,285 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of lesen vs liken
Shared letters: eln. Private to "lesen": s. Private to "liken": ik.
"lesen" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "liken" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "lesen" and "liken" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "lesen" or "liken"?
Remembering lesen vs liken
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “lesen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable