laissevslisteWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“laisse” and “liste” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#555
“laisse” frequency rank
#604
“liste” frequency rank
1159
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature laisse liste
Definition Corde ou lanière dont on se sert pour mener un chien seul ou des chiens attachés ensemble. Bande, bordure.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set laisse and liste apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
laisse
5 ch
liste

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

laisse and liste form a confusable pair in the French index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 1159, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

laisse is recorded at frequency rank #555, classified as anoun, pronounced \lɛs\. liste is at rank #604, tagged as anoun, pronounced \list\.

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 1159, this pair ranks #438,522 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

laisse#555
liste#604

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "laisse" and "liste" be used interchangeably?
No, "laisse" and "liste" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering laisse vs liste

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 “laisse” 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