Which to use
“lateral” and “literal” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #10,387
- “lateral” frequency rank
- #10,077
- “literal” frequency rank
- 20464
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lateral | literal |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To the side; of or pertaining to the side. | Exactly as stated; read or understood without interpretation; according to the letter; not figurative or metaphorical; following the letter or exact words; not taking liberties; etymonic rather than idiomatic. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set lateral and literal apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. lateral (/ˈlæt(ə)ɹəl/) and literal (/ˈlɪt(ə)ɹəl/) 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 a single letter - a in “lateral” becomes i in “literal”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 20464, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lateral is recorded at frequency rank #10,387, classified as anadj, pronounced /ˈlæt(ə)ɹəl/. literal is at rank #10,077, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ˈlɪt(ə)ɹəl/.
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 20464, this pair ranks #430,902 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of lateral vs literal
Shared letters: aelrt. Private to "lateral": -. Private to "literal": i.
"lateral" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC · "literal" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "lateral" and "literal" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "lateral" or "literal"?
Remembering lateral vs literal
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 “lateral” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable