Which to use
“least” is an adjective and “leave” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #48,509
- “least” frequency rank
- #15,377
- “leave” frequency rank
- 63886
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | least | leave |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | mínimo, menor | permissão para deixar o posto |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set least and leave apart are highlighted. They share 3 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: least is anadjective and leaveanoun. On the page they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 63886, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
least is recorded at frequency rank #48,509, classified as anadj. leave is at rank #15,377, tagged as anoun, pronounced /liːv/.
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 63886, this pair ranks #6,002 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of least vs leave
Shared letters: ael. Private to "least": st. Private to "leave": v.
"least" · 5 letters · shape CVVCC · "leave" · 5 letters · shape CVVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "least" and "leave" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "least" or "leave"?
Remembering least vs leave
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “least”; for a noun, it's “leave”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “least” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable