Which to use
“lineage” and “linkage” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #15,854
- “lineage” frequency rank
- #24,224
- “linkage” frequency rank
- 40078
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lineage | linkage |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Descent in a line from a common progenitor; progeny; descending line of offspring or ascending line of parentage. | A mechanical device that connects things. |
Where the eye mixes lineage and linkage
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. lineage (CVCVVCV) and linkage (CVCCVCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: lineage vs linkage
A purely visual mix-up. lineage (/ˈlɪn.i.ɪd͡ʒ/) and linkage (/ˈlɪŋkɪdʒ/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by a single letter - e in “lineage” becomes k in “linkage”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 40078, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lineage is recorded at frequency rank #15,854, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈlɪn.i.ɪd͡ʒ/. linkage is at rank #24,224, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈlɪŋkɪdʒ/.
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 40078, this pair ranks #270,878 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of lineage vs linkage
Shared letters: aegiln. Private to "lineage": -. Private to "linkage": k.
"lineage" · 7 letters · shape CVCVVCV · "linkage" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "lineage" and "linkage" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "lineage" or "linkage"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "lineage" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "linkage" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #270,878 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "lineage" and "linkage" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lineages vs linkage". 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 #270,878 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.