Which to use
“lang” is an adverb and “lau” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #17,555
- “lang” frequency rank
- #21,230
- “lau” frequency rank
- 38785
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lang | lau |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | por | morno, tépido: |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set lang and lau apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: lang is anadverb and lauanadjective. On the page they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38785, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lang is recorded at frequency rank #17,555, classified as anadv. lau is at rank #21,230, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ˈlaʊ̯/.
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 38785, this pair ranks #27,598 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of lang vs lau
Shared letters: al. Private to "lang": gn. Private to "lau": u.
"lang" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "lau" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Known mistypes of this pair
- lang ← alng · lagn · langg · lanng · llang · lnag
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "lang" and "lau" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "lang" or "lau"?
Remembering lang vs lau
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adverb, it's “lang”; for an adjective, it's “lau”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “lang” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable