likevsloseWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“like” and “lose” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#5,748
“like” frequency rank
#37,699
“lose” frequency rank
43447
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature like lose
Definition Gustar. Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de subjuntivo de losar.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set like and lose apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
like
4 ch
lose

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. like (/laɪk/) and lose ([ˈlose]) 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 43447, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

like is recorded at frequency rank #5,748, classified as averb, pronounced /laɪk/. 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 43447, this pair ranks #142,592 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of like vs lose

Shared letters: el. Private to "like": ik. Private to "lose": os.

"like" · 4 letters · shape CVCV  ·  "lose" · 4 letters · shape CVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • likeilke · liek · likke · lkie · llike
  • losellose · loce · loes · losse · lsoe · olse

Frequency comparison

like#5,748
lose#37,699

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "like" and "lose" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (/laɪk/ versus [ˈlose]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "like" or "lose"?
"like" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,748 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 like vs lose

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “like” 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