Which to use
“lest” and “lügst” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #18,316
- “lest” frequency rank
- #36,489
- “lügst” frequency rank
- 54805
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lest | lügst |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs lesen | 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs lügen |
Where the eye mixes lest and lügst
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between lest and lügst
A purely visual mix-up. lest ([leːst]) and lügst ([lyːkst]) 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 54805, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lest is recorded at frequency rank #18,316, classified as averb, pronounced [leːst]. lügst is at rank #36,489, tagged as averb, pronounced [lyːkst].
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 54805, this pair ranks #1,004,301 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of lest vs lügst
Shared letters: lst. Private to "lest": e. Private to "lügst": gü.
"lest" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "lügst" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- lest ← elst · lesst · lestt · llest · lset
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "lest" and "lügst" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "lest" vs "lügst" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "lest" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "lügst" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,004,301 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "lest" and "lügst" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lädst vs lügst". 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 #1,004,301 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.