linvslxWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: lin is a noun, lx is an article, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“lin” is a noun and “lx” is an article - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#13,734
“lin” frequency rank
#39,325
“lx” frequency rank
53059
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature lin lx
Definition Lino. Artículo determinado neutro singular.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set lin and lx apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

3 ch
lin
2 ch
lx

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: lin is [lɛ̃] while lx is [el]. 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 article), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 53059, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

lin is recorded at frequency rank #13,734, classified as anoun, pronounced [lɛ̃]. lx is at rank #39,325, tagged as anarticle, pronounced [el].

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 53059, this pair ranks #89,690 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of lin vs lx

Shared letters: l. Private to "lin": in. Private to "lx": x.

"lin" · 3 letters · shape CVC  ·  "lx" · 2 letters · shape CC

Frequency comparison

lin#13,734
lx#39,325

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "lin" and "lx" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "lin" is a noun and "lx" an article, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "lin" or "lx"?
"lin" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #13,734 in our Spanish list, against #39,325 for "lx". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering lin vs lx

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “lin”; for an article, it's “lx”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “lin” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list