Which to use
“lean” is an adjective and “least” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #26,078
- “lean” frequency rank
- #42,429
- “least” frequency rank
- 68507
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lean | least |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Économe, frugal, surtout en rapport avec les techniques de lean management. | Deuxième personne du pluriel de l’impératif présent de leasen. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set lean and least apart are highlighted. They share 3 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: lean is \lin\ while least is \liːst\. 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 (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 68507, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lean is recorded at frequency rank #26,078, classified as anadj, pronounced \lin\. least is at rank #42,429, tagged as averb, pronounced \liːst\.
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 68507, this pair ranks #58,900 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of lean vs least
Shared letters: ael. Private to "lean": n. Private to "least": st.
"lean" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "least" · 5 letters · shape CVVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "lean" and "least" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "lean" or "least"?
Remembering lean vs least
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “lean”; for a verb, it's “least”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “lean” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable