Which to use
“leme” and “lie” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #12,478
- “leme” frequency rank
- #31,038
- “lie” frequency rank
- 43516
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | leme | lie |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | superfície plana na parte traseira de um barco ou de um avião e que serve para os dirigir | mentira |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set leme and lie apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. leme (/ˈlɛ.mɨ/) and lie (/ˈlaɪ/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 43516, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
leme is recorded at frequency rank #12,478, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈlɛ.mɨ/. lie is at rank #31,038, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈlaɪ/.
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 43516, this pair ranks #22,103 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of leme vs lie
Shared letters: el. Private to "leme": m. Private to "lie": i.
"leme" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "lie" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Known mistypes of this pair
- leme ← elme · leem · lemme · lleme · lmee
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "leme" and "lie" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "leme" or "lie"?
Remembering leme vs lie
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 “leme” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable