Which to use
“lab” is a noun and “let” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,506
- “lab” frequency rank
- #228
- “let” frequency rank
- 3734
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lab | let |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A laboratory. | To allow to, not to prevent (+ infinitive, but usually without to). |
Where the eye mixes lab and let
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Look-alike desk: lab vs let
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: lab is /læb/ while let is /lɛt/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 3734, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lab is recorded at frequency rank #3,506, classified as anoun, pronounced /læb/. let is at rank #228, tagged as averb, pronounced /lɛt/.
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 3734, this pair ranks #521,161 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of lab vs let
Shared letters: l. Private to "lab": ab. Private to "let": et.
"lab" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "let" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "lab" and "let" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "lab" vs "let" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "lab" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "let" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #521,161 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "lab" and "let" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lab vs LSC". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #521,161 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.