Which to use
“let” is a verb and “li” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #228
- “let” frequency rank
- #4,685
- “li” frequency rank
- 4913
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | let | li |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To allow to, not to prevent (+ infinitive, but usually without to). | The Chinese mile, a traditional unit of distance equal to 1500 chis or 150 zhangs, now standardized as a half-kilometer (500 meters). |
Where the eye mixes let and li
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: let is /lɛt/ while li is /liː/. 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 noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 4913, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
let is recorded at frequency rank #228, classified as averb, pronounced /lɛt/. li is at rank #4,685, tagged as anoun, pronounced /liː/.
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 4913, this pair ranks #517,247 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of let vs li
Shared letters: l. Private to "let": et. Private to "li": i.
"let" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "li" · 2 letters · shape CV