Which to use
“leary” is an adjective and “leer” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #34,564
- “leary” frequency rank
- #47,726
- “leer” frequency rank
- 82290
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | leary | leer |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Alternative spelling of leery. | To look sideways or obliquely; now especially with sexual desire or malicious intent. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set leary and leer apart are highlighted. They share 3 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: leary is anadjective and leeraverb. On the page they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 82290, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
leary is recorded at frequency rank #34,564, classified as anadj. leer is at rank #47,726, tagged as averb, pronounced /lɪə/.
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 82290, this pair ranks #16,000 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of leary vs leer
Shared letters: elr. Private to "leary": ay. Private to "leer": -.
"leary" · 5 letters · shape CVVCV · "leer" · 4 letters · shape CVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "leary" and "leer" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "leary" or "leer"?
Remembering leary vs leer
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “leary”; for a verb, it's “leer”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “leary” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable