loh vs löst, What's the Difference?

Which to use

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

#44,776
“loh” frequency rank: #3,389
“löst” frequency rank: 48165
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	loh	löst
Definition	2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs lohen	2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs lösen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set loh and löst apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

3 ch

loh

4 ch

löst

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. loh ([loː]) and löst ([løːst]) 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 48165, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

loh is recorded at frequency rank #44,776, classified as averb, pronounced [loː]. löst is at rank #3,389, tagged as averb, pronounced [løːst].

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 48165, this pair ranks #1,258,457 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of loh vs löst

Shared letters: l. Private to "loh": ho. Private to "löst": stö.

"loh" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "löst" · 4 letters · shape CVCC

Frequency comparison

loh#44,776

löst#3,389

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "loh" and "löst" be used interchangeably?

No. They are said differently ([loː] versus [løːst]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.

Which is more common, "loh" or "löst"?

"löst" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,389 in our German list, against #44,776 for "loh". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering loh vs löst

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 “loh” entry
Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable