Would you prefer to have a picnic in the leas or in the lees? Do you look through a lends or a lens to take a picture? Would you play a liar or a lyre? Does a levee or a levy prevent flooding? Does lichen or liken grow on rocks and trees? Which one accompanies a thunderstorm: lightening or lightning?
leas, lees
Leas would be more than one meadow or pasture.
They held hands as they took a leisurely walk through the leas.
Lees are protective shelters.
They sought shelter from the storm under one of the many lees the mountains provided.
leased, least
Leased is having granted possession of (land, buildings, etc) by a contract.
The curmudgeon leased his old house to the new young couple in town.
Least is to the smallest extent, amount, or degree. It also means lowest in consideration, position, or importance.
Coming up with enough money for the project is the least of my worries.
lends, lens
Lends means loans.
She only lends to others what she has set back.
A lens is a piece of transparent substance, usually glass, having two opposite surfaces either both curved or one curved and one plane, used in an optical device in changing the convergence of light rays, as for magnification, or in correcting defects of vision.
The photographer zoomed the camera lens in on the evidence left behind by the murderer.
lentil, lintel
A lentil is a high-protein pulse that is dried and then soaked and cooked before eating. There are several varieties of lentils, including green ones and smaller orange ones, which are typically sold split.
The kielbasa and lentil soup with basil had just the right amount of lentils.
A lintel is a horizontal architectural member supporting the weight above an opening, as a window or a door.
Christmas cards were displayed on the lintel.
lessen, lesson
Lessen means to become less.
Ice melt sprinkled on sidewalks during icy weather will lessen the risk of falling.
A lesson is a section into which a course of study is divided, especially a single, continuous session of formal instruction in a subject:
Today’s lesson will be on the Constitution of the United States.
lesser, lessor
If something is lesser, it is smaller, as in size or importance. It is inferior.
When you say that you are going to choose the lesser of two evils, it means that you are going to choose the less offensive of two undesirable options.
A lessor is a person, group, etc., who grants a lease.
You are not allowed to make any changes to the house or property without the lessor’s approval.
levee, levy
A levee is an embankment designed to prevent the flooding of a river.
Citizens concerned about the city flooding had gathered enough signatures to convince their local government to construct a levee.
A levy is a tax.
The levy imposed upon the item made it too expensive to buy.
liable, libel
If one is liable, one is legally responsible.
Knowing she would be held liable if anything happened to the young ones in her charge made her uneasy as she watched the youngsters play roughly.
Libel is defamation by written or printed words, pictures, or in any form other than by spoken words or gestures.
The high school news reporter lost her position because she allowed libel against one of her teachers to be printed.
liar, lyre
A liar is one who tells lies.
The witness for the prosecution, a known liar, took the stand.
A lyre is a stringed instrument of the harp class
Apollo’s lyre is supposed to signify that he is the god of music.
lichen, liken
Lichen is a simple slow-growing plant that typically forms a low crusty, leaflike, or branching growth on rocks, walls, and trees.
The water, moving slowly over the moss- and lichen-covered stones, formed small pools in the low spots.
To liken is to compare.
Poets often liken love to a butterfly or a deep red rose.
lie, lye
When you lie, you tell something that isn’t true.
Even though the witness was under oath, she was likely to lie.
Lye is a strongly alkaline solution, especially of potassium hydroxide, used for washing or cleansing.
Granny, a character on the Beverly Hillbillies, was known for making lye soap in a kettle out by the cement pond.
lightening, lightning
Lightening is the descent of the uterus into the pelvic cavity, occurring toward the end of pregnancy, changing the contour of the abdomen and facilitating breathing by lessening pressure under the diaphragm. Lightening as a verb means making or becoming lighter or brighter.
Her attempt at lightening a serious situation failed miserably.
Lightning is a brilliant electric spark discharge in the atmosphere, occurring within a thundercloud, between clouds, or between a cloud and the ground.
An indirect lightning strike caused my temperature gauge to say that it was 255.5 degrees outside.
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