# lease

> English word · Noun · IPA /liːs/ · frequency rank #5,432

## Definitions
1. An interest in land granting exclusive use or occupation of real estate for a limited period; a leasehold.
2. An interest granting exclusive use of any thing, such as a car or boat.
3. The contract or deed under which such an interest is granted.
4. The document containing such a contract or deed.
5. The period of such an interest.
6. The temporary assignment of an IP address to a networked device.

## Etymology
From Middle English *lesen, from Anglo-Norman *leser, Old French lesser, laisier (“to let, let go”), partly from Latin laxō (“to loose”) and partly from Old High German lāzan (“to let, let go, release”) (German lassen), cognate with Old English lǣtan (“to allow, let go, leave, rent”) whence let.

## Easily confused with
- **lee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lease-vs-lee)
- **les** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lease-vs-les)
- **less** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lease-vs-less)
- **lose** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lease-vs-lose)
- **legs** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lease-vs-legs)
- **lets** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lease-vs-lets)
- **lens** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lease-vs-lens)
- **lest** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lease-vs-lest)
- **lees** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lease-vs-lees)
- **Lise** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lease-vs-lise)
- **least** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lease-vs-least)
- **leave** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lease-vs-leave)
- **loose** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lease-vs-loose)
- **leash** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lease-vs-leash)
- **ledge** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lease-vs-ledge)
- **lemme** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lease-vs-lemme)
- **levee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lease-vs-levee)
- **Leyte** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lease-vs-leyte)
- **Lexie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lease-vs-lexie)
- **Lhasa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lease-vs-lhasa)

## Common misspellings (6)
`elase`, `laese`, `leaes`, `leasse`, `lesae`, `llease`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/lease