# lathe vs loath

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### lathe
*verb · IPA /leɪð/ · frequency rank #32,475*
To invite; bid; ask.

### loath
*adjective · IPA /ləʊθ/ · frequency rank #43,241*
Averse, disinclined; reluctant, unwilling. Always followed by a verbal phrase.

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