Which to use
“lex” is a verb and “loy” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #14,983
- “lex” frequency rank
- #45,491
- “loy” frequency rank
- 60474
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lex | loy |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To perform lexical analysis; to convert a character stream to a token stream as a preliminary to parsing. | A type of one-eared spade used in Ireland. |
Where the eye mixes lex and loy
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Why the eye confuses lex with loy
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: lex is /lɛks/ while loy is /lɔɪ/. 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 noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 60474, 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/. loy is at rank #45,491, tagged as anoun, pronounced /lɔɪ/.
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 60474, this pair ranks #100,008 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of lex vs loy
Shared letters: l. Private to "lex": ex. Private to "loy": oy.
"lex" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "loy" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "lex" and "loy" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary English text, does "lex" or "loy" show up more?
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 "lex" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "loy" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #100,008 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "lex" and "loy" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "loy vs LSC". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #100,008 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.