Which to use
“Leu” and “lew” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #42,653
- “Leu” frequency rank
- #34,242
- “lew” frequency rank
- 76895
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Leu | lew |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Löwe | Löwe (Panthera leo) |
Where the eye mixes Leu and lew
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. Leu (CVV) and lew (CVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: Leu vs lew
A purely visual mix-up. Leu ([lɔɪ̯]) and lew ([lɛf]) 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 a single letter - u in “Leu” becomes w in “lew”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 76895, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Leu is recorded at frequency rank #42,653, classified as anoun, pronounced [lɔɪ̯]. lew is at rank #34,242, tagged as anoun, pronounced [lɛf].
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 76895, this pair ranks #273,228 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of Leu vs lew
Shared letters: el. Private to "Leu": u. Private to "lew": w.
"Leu" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "lew" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Leu" for "lew" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "Leu" or "lew" show up more?
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 "Leu" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "lew" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #273,228 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Leu" and "lew" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Lees vs Leu". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #273,228 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.