löst vs lügst, What's the Difference?

Which to use

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

#3,389
“löst” frequency rank: #36,489
“lügst” frequency rank: 39878
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	löst	lügst
Definition	2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs lösen	2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs lügen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set löst and lügst apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch

löst

5 ch

lügst

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. löst ([løːst]) and lügst ([lyːkst]) 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 39878, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

löst is recorded at frequency rank #3,389, classified as averb, pronounced [løːst]. lügst is at rank #36,489, tagged as averb, pronounced [lyːkst].

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 39878, this pair ranks #1,524,339 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of löst vs lügst

Shared letters: lst. Private to "löst": ö. Private to "lügst": gü.

"löst" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "lügst" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC

Frequency comparison

löst#3,389

lügst#36,489

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

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

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

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

"löst" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,389 in our German list, against #36,489 for "lügst". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering löst vs lügst

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