Lein vs. Lean — Which is Correct Spelling?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on March 26, 2024
"Lein" is a misspelling. The correct term is "Lean," which means to incline or deviate from a vertical position.
Table of Contents
Which is correct: Lein or Lean
How to spell Lean?
Lein
Incorrect Spelling
Lean
Correct Spelling
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Key Differences
Think of "Lean" as a cleaner version without the 'i'.
Remember “Lean Cuisine” for healthy eating.
"Lean" connects with "mean" which also has 'ea'.
"Lein" lacks the simplicity of "Lean."
A wall leans, it doesn't "lein."
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How Do You Spell Lean Correctly?
Incorrect: He tried to find a way to remove the lein from his record.
Correct: He tried to find a way to remove the lean from his record.
Incorrect: The lawyer discussed the implications of a lein on the estate.
Correct: The lawyer discussed the implications of a lean on the estate.
Incorrect: The bank put a lein on his car due to the unpaid loan.
Correct: The bank put a lean on his car due to the unpaid loan.
Incorrect: Their financial advisor explained how a lein could affect their credit score.
Correct: Their financial advisor explained how a lean could affect their credit score.
Incorrect: She signed a lein against the property for the unpaid bills.
Correct: She signed a lean against the property for the unpaid bills.
Lean Definitions
To incline or bend from a vertical position.
She would lean against the railing to watch the sunset.
Lacking excess flesh or fat; not plump or fat.
After dieting, he was noticeably leaner.
Containing little or no fat.
Consumers often choose lean meat for health reasons.
Be in or move into a sloping position
He leaned back in his chair
A deviation from the perpendicular; an inclination
The vehicle has a definite lean to the left
The lean part of meat
The man who eats no fat and the wife who eats no lean
(of a person or animal) thin, especially healthily so; having no superfluous fat
His lean, muscular body
Offering little reward, substance, or nourishment; meagre
The lean winter months
Keep a small reserve to tide you over the lean years
(of a vaporized fuel mixture) having a high proportion of air
Lean air-to-fuel ratios
To bend or slant away from the vertical.
To incline the weight of the body so as to be supported
Leaning against the doorpost.
To rely for assistance or support
Lean on me for help.
To have a tendency or preference
A government that leans toward fascism.
(Informal) To exert pressure
The boss is leaning on us to meet the deadline.
To set or place so as to be resting or supported
Leaned the ladder against the wall.
To cause to incline
Leaned the boards so the rain would run off.
A tilt or an inclination away from the vertical.
Meat with little or no fat.
Not fleshy or fat; thin.
Containing little fat or less fat relative to a standard
Lean hamburger.
Not productive or prosperous; meager
Lean years.
Containing little excess or waste; spare
A lean budget.
Thrifty in management, especially by employing just enough people to accomplish a task or do business
"Company leaders know their industries must be lean to survive" (Christian Science Monitor).
(Metallurgy) Low in mineral contents
Lean ore.
(Chemistry) Lacking in combustible material
Lean fuel.
To incline, deviate, or bend, from a vertical position; to be in a position thus inclining or deviating.
A leaning column
She leaned out of the window.
(copulative) To incline in opinion or desire; to conform in conduct; often with to, toward, etc.
I’m leaning towards voting Conservative in the next election.
The Hispanic vote leans Democratic.
Followed by against, on, or upon: to rest or rely, for support, comfort, etc.
To hang outwards.
To press against.
To thin out (a fuel-air mixture): to reduce the fuel flow into the mixture so that there is more air or oxygen.
To conceal.
(of an object taller than its width and depth) An inclination away from the vertical.
The trees had various leans toward gaps in the canopy.
(uncountable) Meat with no fat on it.
An organism that is lean in stature.
A recreational drug based on codeine-laced promethazine cough syrup, especially popular in the hip hop community in the southeastern United States.
(of a person or animal) Slim; not fleshy.
(of meat) Having little fat.
Lean steak cuts
Having little extra or little to spare; scanty; meagre.
A lean budget
A lean harvest
Having a low proportion or concentration of a desired substance or ingredient.
A lean ore hardly worth mining.
Running on too lean a fuel-air mixture will cause, among other problems, your internal combustion engine to heat up too much.
Of a character which prevents the compositor from earning the usual wages; opposed to fat.
Lean copy, matter, or type
(business) Efficient, economic, frugal, agile, slimmed-down; pertaining to the modern industrial principles of "lean manufacturing".
Lean management
Lean manufacturing
Alcoa is now a lean and agile enterprise, after having split last year into two entities.
To incline, deviate, or bend, from a vertical position; to be in a position thus inclining or deviating; as, she leaned out at the window; a leaning column.
To incline in opinion or desire; to conform in conduct; - with to, toward, etc.
They delight rather to lean to their old customs.
To rest or rely, for support, comfort, and the like; - with on, upon, or against.
He leaned not on his fathers but himself.
To cause to lean; to incline; to support or rest.
His fainting limbs against an oak he leant.
Wanting flesh; destitute of or deficient in fat; slim; not plump; slender; meager; thin; lank; as, a lean body; a lean cattle.
Wanting fullness, richness, sufficiency, or productiveness; deficient in quality or contents; slender; scant; barren; bare; mean; - used literally and figuratively; as, the lean harvest; a lean purse; a lean discourse; lean wages.
Their lean and flashy songs.
What the land is, whether it be fat or lean.
Out of my lean and low abilityI'll lend you something.
Of a character which prevents the compositor from earning the usual wages; - opposed to fat; as, lean copy, matter, or type.
That part of flesh which consists principally of muscle without the fat.
The fat was so white and the lean was so ruddy.
Unremunerative copy or work.
The property possessed by a line or surface that departs from the vertical;
The tower had a pronounced tilt
The ship developed a list to starboard
He walked with a heavy inclination to the right
To incline or bend from a vertical position;
She leaned over the banister
Cause to lean or incline;
He leaned his rifle against the wall
Have a tendency or disposition to do or be something; be inclined;
She tends to be nervous before her lectures
These dresses run small
He inclined to corpulence
Rely on for support;
We can lean on this man
Cause to lean to the side;
Erosion listed the old tree
Lacking excess flesh;
You can't be too rich or too thin
Yon Cassius has a lean and hungry look
Lacking in mineral content or combustible material;
Lean ore
Lean fuel
Containing little excess;
A lean budget
A skimpy allowance
Low in mineral content;
A lean ore
Not profitable or prosperous;
A lean year
Not rich or abundant; sparse.
It was a lean year for crops.
To rely on or derive support from.
He leans on his family in tough times.
Lean Meaning in a Sentence
When the wind blows, the trees lean to the side.
The building seems to lean a bit to the left because of its faulty foundation.
The cat likes to lean against the warm window in the afternoon.
During the meeting, he tends to lean back in his chair and listen.
You can lean on me if you get tired during the hike.
I lean towards choosing chocolate ice cream over vanilla.
To see the view better, lean forward a little.
After running, lean against the wall and stretch your legs.
When the bus turns sharply, you might have to lean to keep your balance.
She likes her meat lean, with very little fat.
I noticed that flowers lean towards the sunlight to grow.
In discussions, I lean toward supporting community-based solutions.
It's easier to lean the ladder against the wall when you have someone to help you.
For a healthier diet, choose lean cuts of meat.
To avoid falling, lean into the turn when you're skiing.
The budget for the project is lean this year, so we have to be careful with our spending.
The company is running with a lean team, but they're very efficient.
If you lean out of the window, you can see the parade better.
The painter prefers to lean his canvases against the easel while he works.
The fence will lean if you don't secure it properly in the ground.
She taught her puppy to lean on the window sill to look outside.
Lean closer, and I'll tell you a secret.
Lean the mirror against that wall; I want to see how it looks there.
My preference is to have a lean organization rather than a bulky one.
Before making a decision, I need to lean on my family for advice.
Lean Idioms & Phrases
Lean against
To rest or support oneself against something for support.
She leaned against the doorframe, waiting for her friend to answer.
Lean times
Periods when there is scarcity or difficulty, especially with money.
The family went through lean times but managed to keep their home.
Lean and mean
Operating efficiently with no excess; tough and efficient.
The company's new policy is to keep the business lean and mean.
Lean on it
To apply pressure or speed up; to work harder or faster.
When the deadline approached, the team had to lean on it to finish on time.
Lean back
To recline or move one's body into a more horizontal position for relaxation.
After dinner, he likes to lean back in his chair and read the newspaper.
Lean into
To embrace or accept something enthusiastically or to put extra effort into something.
She decided to lean into her new role at work and quickly excelled.
Lean on someone
To depend on someone for support, either emotionally or for assistance.
After his surgery, he had to lean on his friends for help with daily tasks.
Lean towards something
To show a preference or inclination towards a particular choice or option.
She leans towards studying science rather than arts.
Lean away from
To show a tendency to move away from or not support something.
Recently, he's been leaning away from social media to spend more time offline.
Common Curiosities
What is the verb form of Lean?
Lean is already a verb, as in "to lean."
What is the root word of Lean?
The word "Lean" itself is the root.
Which vowel is used before Lean?
Typically "a" as in "a lean angle."
What is the singular form of Lean?
"Lean."
Is Lean a negative or positive word?
Neutral, but context can influence its connotation.
What is the pronunciation of Lean?
/liːn/
Why is it called Lean?
It originates from Old English "hleonian" or "hlinian" meaning to bend or recline.
What is the plural form of Lean?
Lean doesn't have a typical plural form, but you can have "leans" in terms of instances of leaning.
Which preposition is used with Lean?
Often "against" or "toward."
Is Lean an adverb?
No.
Is Lean an abstract noun?
No, it's concrete.
Is Lean a vowel or consonant?
"Lean" starts with a consonant.
Is Lean a countable noun?
Not typically, unless you're referring to instances of leaning.
Is Lean a collective noun?
No.
Which conjunction is used with Lean?
Any conjunction can be used based on sentence structure.
Which article is used with Lean?
Either "a" or "the" based on context.
Which determiner is used with Lean?
Determiners such as "this," "that," "his," "her" can be used based on context.
How many syllables are in Lean?
One.
What is a stressed syllable in Lean?
The entire word "Lean" is stressed as it's only one syllable.
What is another term for Lean?
Tilt or slant.
Is Lean a noun or adjective?
It can be both. E.g., "a lean" (noun) or "a lean cut" (adjective).
Is the word “Lean” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
It can be a direct object, as in "She took a lean to the right."
What part of speech is Lean?
It can be a verb, noun, or adjective.
What is the opposite of Lean?
For the verb, it's "stand upright." For the adjective, it's "fat" or "rich."
What is the first form of Lean?
Lean.
What is the second form of Lean?
Leaned or leant.
Is the Lean term a metaphor?
It can be used metaphorically, e.g., "a lean time" meaning a period of scarcity.
Is the word Lean imperative?
It can be, e.g., "Lean to the left!"
What is the third form of Lean?
Leaned or leant.
How is Lean used in a sentence?
"He would often lean on the fence and watch the sunset."
Is the word Lean a gerund?
No.
How do we divide Lean into syllables?
Lean is one syllable and is not typically divided.
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Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
