Which to use
“lop” and “lope” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #41,741
- “lop” frequency rank
- #49,466
- “lope” frequency rank
- 91207
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lop | lope |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To cut off as the top or extreme part of anything, especially to prune a small limb off a shrub or tree, or sometimes to behead someone. | To travel an easy pace with long strides. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set lop and lope apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. lop (/lɒp/) and lope (/ləʊp/) 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 1 extra letter(s) - “lop” sits inside “lope”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 91207, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lop is recorded at frequency rank #41,741, classified as averb, pronounced /lɒp/. lope is at rank #49,466, tagged as averb, pronounced /ləʊp/.
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 91207, this pair ranks #3,474 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of lop vs lope
Shared letters: lop. Private to "lop": -. Private to "lope": e.
"lop" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "lope" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- lope ← llope · loep · loppe · lpoe · olpe
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "lop" and "lope" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "lop" or "lope"?
Remembering lop vs lope
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “lop” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable