Which to use
“lex” is a verb and “low” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #14,983
- “lex” frequency rank
- #468
- “low” frequency rank
- 15451
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lex | low |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To perform lexical analysis; to convert a character stream to a token stream as a preliminary to parsing. | Situated close to, or even below, the ground or another normal reference plane; not high or lofty. |
Where the eye mixes lex and low
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Look-alike desk: lex vs low
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: lex is /lɛks/ while low is /ˈləʊ/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15451, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lex is recorded at frequency rank #14,983, classified as averb, pronounced /lɛks/. low is at rank #468, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ˈləʊ/.
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 15451, this pair ranks #463,873 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of lex vs low
Shared letters: l. Private to "lex": ex. Private to "low": ow.
"lex" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "low" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "lex" for "low" ever safe?
Frequency check: "lex" vs "low" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "lex" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "low" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #463,873 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "lex" and "low" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lex vs LSC". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #463,873 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.