LosevsLotsenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#8,246
“Lose” frequency rank
#45,433
“Lotsen” frequency rank
53679
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Lose Lotsen
Definition Variante für den Dativ Singular des Substantivs Los Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Lotse

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Lose and Lotsen apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
Lose
6 ch
Lotsen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Lose ([ˈloːzə]) and Lotsen ([ˈloːt͡sn̩]) 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 53679, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Lose is recorded at frequency rank #8,246, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈloːzə]. Lotsen is at rank #45,433, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈloːt͡sn̩].

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 53679, this pair ranks #1,048,623 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Lose vs Lotsen

Shared letters: elos. Private to "Lose": -. Private to "Lotsen": nt.

"Lose" · 4 letters · shape CVCV  ·  "Lotsen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Losellose · loes · losse · lsoe · olse
  • Lotsenllotsen · losten · lotesn · lotsenn · lotsne · lotssen · lottsen · ltosen

Frequency comparison

Lose#8,246
Lotsen#45,433

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Lose" and "Lotsen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈloːzə] versus [ˈloːt͡sn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Lose" or "Lotsen"?
"Lose" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #8,246 in our German list, against #45,433 for "Lotsen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Lose vs Lotsen

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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list