# lead vs loam

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### lead
*noun · IPA /lɛd/ · frequency rank #636*
A heavy, pliable, inelastic metal element, having a bright, bluish color, but easily tarnished; both malleable and ductile, though with little tenacity. It is easily fusible, forms alloys with other metals, and is an ingredient of solder and type metal. Atomic number 82, symbol Pb (from Latin plumbum).

### loam
*noun · IPA /ləʊm/ · frequency rank #46,031*
A type of soil; an earthy mixture of sand, silt and clay, with organic matter to which its fertility is chiefly due.

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