Which to use
“lapse” is a noun and “lose” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #15,206
- “lapse” frequency rank
- #879
- “lose” frequency rank
- 16085
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lapse | lose |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A temporary failure; a slip. | To cease to have (something) in one's possession or capability. |
Where the eye mixes lapse and lose
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses lapse with lose
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: lapse is /læps/ while lose is /luːz/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 16085, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lapse is recorded at frequency rank #15,206, classified as anoun, pronounced /læps/. lose is at rank #879, tagged as averb, pronounced /luːz/.
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 16085, this pair ranks #460,017 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of lapse vs lose
Shared letters: els. Private to "lapse": ap. Private to "lose": o.
"lapse" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV · "lose" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "lapse" and "lose" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "lapse" or "lose"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "lapse" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "lose" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #460,017 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "lapse" and "lose" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lapse vs lope". 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 #460,017 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.