Which to use
“like” and “list” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #4,288
- “like” frequency rank
- #9,059
- “list” frequency rank
- 13347
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | like | list |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs liken | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs listen |
Where the eye mixes like and list
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. like (CVCV) and list (CVCC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between like and list
A purely visual mix-up. like ([ˈlaɪ̯kə]) and list ([lɪst]) 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 13347, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
like is recorded at frequency rank #4,288, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈlaɪ̯kə]. list is at rank #9,059, tagged as averb, pronounced [lɪst].
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 13347, this pair ranks #1,958,568 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of like vs list
Shared letters: il. Private to "like": ek. Private to "list": st.
"like" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "list" · 4 letters · shape CVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "like" and "list" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "like" vs "list" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "like" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "list" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,958,568 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "like" and "list" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lädst vs list". 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 #1,958,568 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.