Which to use
“lean” and “lema” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #8,135
- “lean” frequency rank
- #6,195
- “lema” frequency rank
- 14330
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lean | lema |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Bebida de drogas recreativas, la cual es preparada mezclando jarabe para la tos o resfriado con receta médica que contiene codeína y prometazina con refresco y dulces. | Frase o expresión distintiva que se emplea como guía para la conducta o latiguillo en la comunicación. |
Where the eye mixes lean and lema
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between lean and lema
A purely visual mix-up. lean ([ˈlĩn] (sustantivo)) and lema ([ˈlema]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 14330, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lean is recorded at frequency rank #8,135, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈlĩn] (sustantivo). lema is at rank #6,195, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈlema].
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 14330, this pair ranks #284,522 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of lean vs lema
Shared letters: ael. Private to "lean": n. Private to "lema": m.
"lean" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "lema" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "lean" for "lema" ever safe?
Frequency check: "lean" vs "lema" - which ranks higher?
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 "lean" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "lema" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #284,522 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "lean" and "lema" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lac vs lean". 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 #284,522 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.