Which to use
“lapis” and “lapse” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #38,012
- “lapis” frequency rank
- #15,206
- “lapse” frequency rank
- 53218
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lapis | lapse |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Ellipsis of lapis lazuli. | A temporary failure; a slip. |
Where the eye mixes lapis and lapse
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. lapis (CVCVC) and lapse (CVCCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between lapis and lapse
A purely visual mix-up. lapis (/ˈlæpɪs/) and lapse (/læps/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 53218, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lapis is recorded at frequency rank #38,012, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈlæpɪs/. lapse is at rank #15,206, tagged as anoun, pronounced /læps/.
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 53218, this pair ranks #150,814 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of lapis vs lapse
Shared letters: alps. Private to "lapis": i. Private to "lapse": e.
"lapis" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "lapse" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "lapis" for "lapse" ever safe?
Which is more common, "lapis" or "lapse"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "lapis" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "lapse" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #150,814 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "lapis" and "lapse" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lapis vs Levis". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #150,814 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.