“Lac” or “Lack”—Which to use?

“Lac” or “Lack”

Overview

lac / lack are similar-sounding terms with different meanings (referred to as homophones). To better understand the differences, see below for definitions, pronunciation guides, and example sentences using each term. 👇

Definitions

lac: (noun) resinlike substance secreted by certain lac insects; used in e.g. varnishes and sealing wax.

lack: (noun) the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable.

Pronunciation

lac: l·AE·k

lack: l·AE·k

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Examples in Context

Examples of “lac”

…the novels La mémoire du lac, La peau blanche and L'aile…
…Lake, Ontario; Quezon City, Philippines; Lac de Conche, Swizerland; and Windsor…
Lac du Flambeau (March 24, 1980)
…named the namesake lake as Lac Sainte-Claire, because the Roman Catholic…
Lac des Autannes is a lake…
The Lac d'Oô (Òu in occitan-gascon) is…
Lake Palourde was originally called Lac Palourde by early French settlers,…
…hardware salesman of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin invented the double-edged, disposable…
…Aurora Award, La Mémoire du Lac
Lac d'Oô

Examples of “lack”

The lack of police response to the…
…in this capacity due to lack of fuel.
The lack of system tools and clash…
…previous attitude due to a lack of experience, etc.—and the emotional…
…promise that "she would not lack anything and would get any…
…in the conflict and the lack of cooperation from some groups…
…not recycle something, emphasizing a lack of environmentalist behavior.
…morpheme iyi/yi because of its lack of a clear function.
…Naga becomes troubled by his lack of emotions which causes him…
…encountered many problems including the lack of funds, the extreme difficulty…

(Examples are Wikipedia snippets under the CC ShareAlike 3.0 license. Definitions drawn from WordNet.)

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