LochvsLöweWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“Loch” and “Löwe” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#3,054
“Loch” frequency rank
#8,752
“Löwe” frequency rank
11806
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Loch Löwe
Definition Stelle in einer homogenen Masse, an der Substanz fehlt (in Afrika sowie im westlichen Indien beheimatetes, zu den Großkatzen zählendes) Raubtier mit langem Schwanz, dessen kurzes Fell graugelb bis ockerfarben gefärbt ist und deren Männchen eine lange Mähne um Nacken und Schultern besitzen

Where the eye mixes Loch and Löwe

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.

4 ch
Loch
4 ch
Löwe

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Loch ([lɔx]) and Löwe ([ˈløːvə]) 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 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 11806, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Loch is recorded at frequency rank #3,054, classified as anoun, pronounced [lɔx]. Löwe is at rank #8,752, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈløːvə].

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 11806, this pair ranks #1,967,793 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Loch vs Löwe

Shared letters: l. Private to "Loch": cho. Private to "Löwe": ewö.

"Loch" · 4 letters · shape CVCC  ·  "Löwe" · 4 letters · shape CVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Lochlcoh · lloch · locch · lochh · lohc · olch

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Loch" and "Löwe" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([lɔx] versus [ˈløːvə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Loch" or "Löwe"?
"Loch" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,054 in our German list, against #8,752 for "Löwe". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list