Which to use
“lob” is a verb and “low” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #29,722
- “lob” frequency rank
- #468
- “low” frequency rank
- 30190
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lob | low |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To throw or hit a ball into the air in a high arc. | Situated close to, or even below, the ground or another normal reference plane; not high or lofty. |
Where the eye mixes lob and low
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between lob and low
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: lob is /lɒb/ while low is /ˈləʊ/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - b in “lob” becomes w in “low”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 30190, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lob is recorded at frequency rank #29,722, classified as averb, pronounced /lɒb/. 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 30190, this pair ranks #356,650 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of lob vs low
Shared letters: lo. Private to "lob": b. Private to "low": w.
"lob" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "low" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "lob" for "low" ever safe?
Frequency check: "lob" vs "low" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "lob" 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 #356,650 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "lob" and "low" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lob vs LSC". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #356,650 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.