láservsloseWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: láser is a noun, lose is a verb, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“láser” is a noun and “lose” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#10,171
“láser” frequency rank
#37,699
“lose” frequency rank
47870
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature láser lose
Definition Dispositivo que utiliza la emisión inducida para generar un haz de luz coherente tanto espacial como temporalmente. Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de subjuntivo de losar.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set láser and lose apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
láser
4 ch
lose

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: láser is [ˈlaseɾ] while lose is [ˈlose]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47870, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

láser is recorded at frequency rank #10,171, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈlaseɾ]. lose is at rank #37,699, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈlose].

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 47870, this pair ranks #117,628 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of láser vs lose

Shared letters: els. Private to "láser": . Private to "lose": o.

"láser" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC  ·  "lose" · 4 letters · shape CVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • losellose · loce · loes · losse · lsoe · olse

Frequency comparison

láser#10,171
lose#37,699

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "láser" and "lose" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "láser" is a noun and "lose" a verb, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "láser" or "lose"?
"láser" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #10,171 in our Spanish list, against #37,699 for "lose". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering láser vs lose

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “láser”; for a verb, it's “lose”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “láser” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list