Which to use
“leaking” is a verb and “lending” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #11,243
- “leaking” frequency rank
- #8,685
- “lending” frequency rank
- 19928
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | leaking | lending |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | present participle and gerund of leak | The action of, or an instance of the action of the verb to lend. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set leaking and lending apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: leaking is averb and lendinganoun. On the page they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 19928, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
leaking is recorded at frequency rank #11,243, classified as averb, pronounced /ˈliːkɪŋ/. lending is at rank #8,685, tagged as anoun.
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 19928, this pair ranks #434,722 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of leaking vs lending
Shared letters: egiln. Private to "leaking": ak. Private to "lending": d.
"leaking" · 7 letters · shape CVVCVCC · "lending" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "leaking" and "lending" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "leaking" or "lending"?
Remembering leaking vs lending
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “leaking”; for a noun, it's “lending”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “leaking” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable