Which to use
“leger” is an adjective and “linger” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #42,234
- “leger” frequency rank
- #19,382
- “linger” frequency rank
- 61616
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | leger | linger |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Light; slender, slim; trivial. | To stay or remain in a place or situation, especially as if unwilling to depart or not easily able to do so. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set leger and linger apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: leger is /ˈlɛd͡ʒə(ɹ)/ while linger is /ˈlɪŋɡɚ/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 61616, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
leger is recorded at frequency rank #42,234, classified as anadj, pronounced /ˈlɛd͡ʒə(ɹ)/. linger is at rank #19,382, tagged as averb, pronounced /ˈlɪŋɡɚ/.
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 61616, this pair ranks #93,223 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of leger vs linger
Shared letters: eglr. Private to "leger": -. Private to "linger": in.
"leger" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "linger" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "leger" and "linger" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "leger" or "linger"?
Remembering leger vs linger
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “leger”; for a verb, it's “linger”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “leger” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable