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“Leaf” or “Lief”

leaf / lief 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.

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Definitions

What each term means

Same sound, different spellings and meanings, shown with a pronunciation guide for each term.

leaf l·IY·f

  • nounthe main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants.
  • nouna sheet of any written or printed material (especially in a manuscript or book).
  • nounhinged or detachable flat section (as of a table or door).
  • verbturn over pages.
  • verbproduce leaves, of plants.

lief l·IY·f

No dictionary entry for this spelling — see the usage examples below for how it shows up in writing.

Usage

Examples in context

Real sentences for each spelling. Hover an example to copy it.

“leaf”

  • Asphondylia silicula – leaf gall
  • Asphondylia barbata – leaf gall
  • …plant structure, flower colour and leaf as attributable to environmental factors.
  • …Latin word acrifolium, literally "sharp leaf" (turned into aquifolium in modern…
  • Asphondylia villosa – leaf gall
  • Asphondylia digitata – leaf gall
  • Tumble Leaf (Writer, multiple episodes)
  • …"Venusaur Edition" (JP, 02/2004) - Leaf Green
  • Asphondylia discalis – leaf gall
  • …leaves, frequently with a spiny leaf margin.

“lief”

  • 2, Buch 2, Lief.
  • Ik heb je lief (1998)

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

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