Which to use
“let” is an adjective and “let's” is a contraction - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #16,630
- “let” frequency rank
- #23,474
- “let's” frequency rank
- 40104
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | let | let's |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Ligero. | Usado para formar el cohortativo de los verbos, equivalente a la primera persona plural del imperativo en otros idiomas; "vamos a + infinitivo". |
Where the eye mixes let and let's
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence. let runs 3 letters (CVC) against let's's 4 (CVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: let vs let's
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: let is [lɛd] while let's is /lɛts/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “let” sits inside “let's”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs contraction), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 40104, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
let is recorded at frequency rank #16,630, classified as anadj, pronounced [lɛd]. let's is at rank #23,474, tagged as acontraction, pronounced /lɛts/.
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 40104, this pair ranks #160,895 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of let vs let's
Shared letters: elt. Private to "let": -. Private to "let's": s.
"let" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "let's" · 4 letters · shape CVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "let" for "let's" ever safe?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "let" or "let's" show up more?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "let" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "let's" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #160,895 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "let" and "let's" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lens vs let's". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #160,895 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.