Which to use
“late” is an adjective and “like” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #456
- “late” frequency rank
- #42
- “like” frequency rank
- 498
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | late | like |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Near the end of a period of time. | To enjoy, be pleased by; favor; be in favor of. |
Where the eye mixes late and like
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: late is /leɪt/ while like is /laɪ̯k/. 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 (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 498, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
late is recorded at frequency rank #456, classified as anadj, pronounced /leɪt/. like is at rank #42, tagged as averb, pronounced /laɪ̯k/.
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 498, this pair ranks #529,315 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of late vs like
Shared letters: el. Private to "late": at. Private to "like": ik.
"late" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "like" · 4 letters · shape CVCV