Which to use
“let” is a verb and “lewd” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #228
- “let” frequency rank
- #22,725
- “lewd” frequency rank
- 22953
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | let | lewd |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To allow to, not to prevent (+ infinitive, but usually without to). | Lascivious, sexually promiscuous, rude. |
Where the eye mixes let and lewd
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between let and lewd
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: let is /lɛt/ while lewd is /ljuːd/. 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 (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 22953, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
let is recorded at frequency rank #228, classified as averb, pronounced /lɛt/. lewd is at rank #22,725, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ljuːd/.
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 22953, this pair ranks #412,824 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of let vs lewd
Shared letters: el. Private to "let": t. Private to "lewd": dw.
"let" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "lewd" · 4 letters · shape CVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- lewd ← elwd · ledw · lewdd · lewwd · llewd · lwed
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "let" for "lewd" ever safe?
Frequency check: "let" vs "lewd" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "let" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "lewd" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #412,824 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "let" and "lewd" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lel vs lewd". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #412,824 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.