Which to use
“lait” is a noun and “lavait” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,043
- “lait” frequency rank
- #49,763
- “lavait” frequency rank
- 51806
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lait | lavait |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Liquide produit par les glandes mammaires des femelles de mammifères pendant la période de lactation qui suit la parturition, et destiné à nourrir les bébés lors de l’allaitement. | Troisième personne du singulier de l’imparfait de l’indicatif de laver. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set lait and lavait apart are highlighted. They share 4 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: lait is \lɛ\ while lavait is \la.vɛ\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 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 51806, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lait is recorded at frequency rank #2,043, classified as anoun, pronounced \lɛ\. lavait is at rank #49,763, tagged as averb, pronounced \la.vɛ\.
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 51806, this pair ranks #152,335 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of lait vs lavait
Shared letters: ailt. Private to "lait": -. Private to "lavait": v.
"lait" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "lavait" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "lait" and "lavait" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "lait" or "lavait"?
Remembering lait vs lavait
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “lait”; for a verb, it's “lavait”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “lait” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable