Which to use
“let” is a verb and “lute” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #228
- “let” frequency rank
- #34,168
- “lute” frequency rank
- 34396
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | let | lute |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To allow to, not to prevent (+ infinitive, but usually without to). | A fretted stringed instrument, similar to the guitar, having a bowl-shaped body or soundbox; any of a wide variety of chordophones with a pear-shaped body and a neck whose upper surface is in the same plane as the soundboard, with strings along the neck and parallel to the soundboard. |
Where the eye mixes let and lute
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: let vs lute
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: let is /lɛt/ while lute is /l(j)uːt/. 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 34396, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
let is recorded at frequency rank #228, classified as averb, pronounced /lɛt/. lute is at rank #34,168, tagged as anoun, pronounced /l(j)uːt/.
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 34396, this pair ranks #321,182 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of let vs lute
Shared letters: elt. Private to "let": -. Private to "lute": u.
"let" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "lute" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- lute ← llute · ltue · luet · lutte · ulte
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "let" for "lute" ever safe?
In ordinary English text, does "let" or "lute" show up more?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "let" and "lute" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "let" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "lute" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #321,182 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "let" and "lute" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lope vs lute". 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 #321,182 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.