Which to use
“ley” is a noun and “lies” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #204
- “ley” frequency rank
- #48,504
- “lies” frequency rank
- 48708
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ley | lies |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Disposición, regla o precepto dictado por la máxima autoridad. | Segunda persona del singular (vos) del presente de subjuntivo de liar o de liarse. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ley and lies apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: ley is [ˈlej] while lies is [ˈljes]. 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 48708, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ley is recorded at frequency rank #204, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈlej]. lies is at rank #48,504, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈljes].
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 48708, this pair ranks #112,962 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of ley vs lies
Shared letters: el. Private to "ley": y. Private to "lies": is.
"ley" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "lies" · 4 letters · shape CVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- lies ← iles · leis · liess · lise · llies
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ley" and "lies" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "ley" or "lies"?
Remembering ley vs lies
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “ley”; for a verb, it's “lies”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “ley” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable