# latest vs lest

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### latest
*adjective · IPA /ˈleɪ.tɪst/ · frequency rank #1,275*
superlative form of late: most late

### lest
*conjunction · IPA /lɛst/ · frequency rank #14,158*
For fear that; that not; in order to prevent something from happening; in case.

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