# lateral vs literal

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### lateral
*adjective · IPA /ˈlæt(ə)ɹəl/ · frequency rank #10,387*
To the side; of or pertaining to the side.

### literal
*adjective · IPA /ˈlɪt(ə)ɹəl/ · frequency rank #10,077*
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.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lateral-vs-literal