leanedvslendWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“leaned” and “lend” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#16,954
“leaned” frequency rank
#8,057
“lend” frequency rank
25011
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature leaned lend
Definition simple past and past participle of lean To allow to be used by someone temporarily, on condition that it or its equivalent will be returned.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set leaned and lend apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
leaned
4 ch
lend

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

leaned and lend form a confusable pair in the English index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 2 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 25011, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

leaned is recorded at frequency rank #16,954, classified as averb, pronounced /liːnd/. lend is at rank #8,057, tagged as averb, pronounced /lɛnd/.

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 25011, this pair ranks #397,614 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Frequency comparison

leaned#16,954
lend#8,057

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "leaned" and "lend" be used interchangeably?
No, "leaned" and "lend" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering leaned vs lend

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “leaned” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list