Which to use
“löscht” and “löst” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #15,940
- “löscht” frequency rank
- #3,389
- “löst” frequency rank
- 19329
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | löscht | löst |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs löschen | 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs lösen |
Where the eye mixes löscht and löst
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. löscht runs 6 letters (CVCCCC) against löst's 4 (CVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses löscht with löst
A purely visual mix-up. löscht ([lœʃt]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 19329, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
löscht is recorded at frequency rank #15,940, classified as averb, pronounced [lœʃt]. 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 19329, this pair ranks #1,909,515 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of löscht vs löst
Shared letters: lstö. Private to "löscht": ch. Private to "löst": -.
"löscht" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCC · "löst" · 4 letters · shape CVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "löscht" and "löst" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "löscht" or "löst"?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "löscht" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "löst" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,909,515 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "löscht" and "löst" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lauscht vs löscht". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,909,515 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.