Which to use
“lin” is a verb and “loy” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #9,623
- “lin” frequency rank
- #45,491
- “loy” frequency rank
- 55114
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lin | loy |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To desist, to stop, to cease. | A type of one-eared spade used in Ireland. |
Where the eye mixes lin and loy
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Why the eye confuses lin with loy
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: lin is /lɪn/ 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 55114, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lin is recorded at frequency rank #9,623, classified as averb, pronounced /lɪn/. 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 55114, this pair ranks #136,082 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of lin vs loy
Shared letters: l. Private to "lin": in. Private to "loy": oy.
"lin" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "loy" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "lin" and "loy" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary English text, does "lin" or "loy" show up more?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "lin" 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 #136,082 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "lin" and "loy" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "loy vs LSC". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #136,082 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.