Master confusing words with ease
Lean vs. Lien
Lean
/liːn/Examples:
Miss Baker leant forward in her chair.She is leaning on Monsieur Boulanger's arm.'He leaned across and spoke to the chauffeur.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Lien
/ˈliːən/Examples:
The creditor placed a lien on the debtor's property.He couldn't sell the car until the lien was settled.The contractor filed a lien for unpaid labor costs.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Ways to tell them apart:
- Lean has an a which you can remember as appropriate posture when you lean against something.
- Lien has an i which can remind you of indebted or interest in a property.
- Think of lean as physical and lien as financial.
- Use lean when talking about body movement or making something more efficient.
- Reserve lien for legal or financial contexts.
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