Which to use
“lance” and “lancet” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #7,807
- “lance” frequency rank
- #26,485
- “lancet” frequency rank
- 34292
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lance | lancet |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A weapon of war, consisting of a long shaft or handle and a steel blade or head; a spear carried by horsemen. | A sharp, pointed, two-edged surgical instrument used in venesection and for opening abscesses etc. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set lance and lancet apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. lance (/lɑːns/) and lancet (/ˈlɑːn.sɪt/) 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 extra letter(s) - “lance” sits inside “lancet”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 34292, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lance is recorded at frequency rank #7,807, classified as anoun, pronounced /lɑːns/. lancet is at rank #26,485, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈlɑːn.sɪt/.
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 34292, this pair ranks #322,064 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of lance vs lancet
Shared letters: aceln. Private to "lance": -. Private to "lancet": t.
"lance" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV · "lancet" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "lance" and "lancet" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "lance" or "lancet"?
Remembering lance vs lancet
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 “lance” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable