Between lens and lens, lens is the correct spelling of the word, while lense is a misspelling. Lens is a noun that refers to a part of a camera, a piece of curved glass or plastic, or the clear part inside your eye. Meanwhile, lense (the one with the letter “e”) is not a word and is just a result of misspelling. It seems that this word results from the plural form of lense, which is “lenses” – a very close spelling. Hence, always use “lens” and never use “lense.”
When to Use Lense
We never use the word “lense.” Lense is just a misspelling form of the word “lens.” Remember, “lens” is the correct word and lense is neither correct nor acceptable. Seemingly, the word arises from the plural form of lens, which is “lenses.” Remember, there’s only one correct spelling of the word and it’s lens (without the letter “e”). Hence, always use lens and never use lense.
Lens is the Correct Spelling of the Word
The following sample sentences show that lense shouldn’t be used and lens should be used:
❌ A DSLR camera typically has a standard 18-55mm lense. (incorrect)
✅ A DSLR camera typically has a standard 18-55mm lens. (correct)
❌ I’m comfortable wearing eyeglasses, but I wear contact lense during formal events. (incorrect)
✅ I’m comfortable wearing eyeglasses, but I wear contact lenses during formal events. (correct)
❌ The lense of the microscope has a flattering shape. (incorrect)
✅ The lens of the microscope has a flattering shape. (correct)
When to Use Lens
Lens is the correct and only spelling of the word. We use lens as a noun that refers to a part of a camera, a piece of curved glass or plastic, or the clear part inside your eye. Additionally, a famous contact lens is a thin plastic lens placed directly on the eye’s surface to correct visual defects. Also, the plural form of lens is lenses.
Lense is a Misspelling of “Lens”
A part of a camera
Who’s going to get a new camera lens?
Whenever I bring my camera outside, I always clean its lens before taking a photo.
I wonder whether I should buy a macro lens or not.
A piece of curved glass or plastic
Her eyeglasses got thick lenses due to vision loss.
Some adjustments to the lens may be highly recommended.
A magnifying glass is a convex lens used to produce a magnified image of an object.
The clear part inside your eye
Lens is one of the parts of our eyes.
The eye lens sits directly behind the pupil.
The lens inside our eyes changes shape to help the eye focus on objects up close.
Lense vs. Lens: What’s the Difference
The difference between lense and lens is the former is a misspelling of the correct word “lens.” It’s not a word and just a result of misspelling. Meanwhile, lens is the correct spelling of the word. Never use lense and always use lens. Remember, there’s only one correct spelling of the word and it’s lens (without the letter “e”).
References:
American Academy of Opthalmology. Eye Anatomy: Parts of the Eye and How We See. In https://www.aao.org. Retrieved from https://www.aao.org/eye-health/anatomy/parts-of-eye
Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.) Lens. In https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/ dictionary. Retrieved from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/lens
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Online. (n.d.). Lens. In https://www.ldoceonline.com/ dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/lens
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Lens. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lens
