# late vs lay

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### late
*adjective · IPA /leɪt/ · frequency rank #456*
Near the end of a period of time.

### lay
*verb · IPA /leɪ/ · frequency rank #2,302*
To place down in a position of rest, or in a horizontal position.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/late-vs-lay