Lens or Lense: Which is the Correct Spelling?

You might need to put on your glasses for today’s entry into our list of commonly misspelled words, because it’s time for a lesson on “lens or lense!” Which is the correct spelling for the word that means “a curved piece of glass that focuses light or vision” — why is this word written incorrectly so often? Let’s find out.

First, some background. My name is Ms. Marshall, and I’ve been an English teacher for nearly twenty years. I’m also an artist, so every illustration on this site is hand-drawn with love – including the recent “Skiddish vs. Skittish” tutorial. On to today’s lesson!

Lens or Lense?

In the “lens or lense” quandary, there’s a simple answer: The spelling “lense” is incorrect, and should never be used. Throw it in the trash along with “recieve.” It is a figment of the imagination and doesn’t exist!

The correct spelling for the piece of glass in your spectacles is: “lens” with no “e” at the end. (Just as the word “truely” shouldn’t have an “e.”) One way to remember this is that writing the word with four letters, “L-e-n-s,” makes it look like a face wearing glasses with lenses, as you can see in my illustration, below! (Sorry — it’s a little weird-looking, but hopefully will help the rule stick in your mind.)

Lense vs. Lenses

Why is the word “lens” so often misspelled? We can blame the fact that the correct spelling of its plural is “lenses” — with an “e” before the “s.”

Because people know that’s how you spell it when there are two of them (for example, “contact lenses“), they assume you can just take off the “s” and get “lense” for the singular word (like: “contact lense”). Nope – that’s incorrect. 

Lens or Lense, in Sum 

Now you know: In the debate about how to write the word for the glass that a camera uses to take in a picture is “lens,” not “lense.” The correct spelling for the plural of “lens” is “lenses.” English has many sneaky “E” placements, as we saw with “Sence vs. Since!”

What else would you like me to illustrate and teach, in the vein of “Separate vs. Seperate?” Do share!

Want more? See my lesson on “Friend vs. Freind.”