# left vs lest

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### left
*adjective · IPA /ˈlɛft/ · frequency rank #215*
Designating the side of the body toward the west when one is facing north; the side of the body on which the heart is located in most humans; the opposite of right. This arrow points to the reader's left: ←

### lest
*conjunction · IPA /lɛst/ · frequency rank #14,158*
For fear that; that not; in order to prevent something from happening; in case.

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