Correct spelling, explanation: the words lye and lie are pronounced the same, and both have only three letters. It’s very easy to confuse them, but their meanings are very different from each other. Lye is a noun that refers to a strong alkaline solution, typically containing potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide. Lie can be used as a noun and a verb, referring to a falsehood or an untruthful statement. Be extremely careful when spelling them.

Definition of lye:
noun, a strongly alkaline solution, especially of potassium hydroxide, used for washing or cleansing
The soap maker carefully handled the lye solution while wearing protective gear to ensure safety during the soap-making process.
In some traditional recipes, corn is soaked in a mixture of water and lye to produce hominy, an essential ingredient in certain dishes.

Collocations with lye:
Some most commonly used collocations include:
1. Strong lye: refers to a concentrated or highly alkaline solution of lye, often used for more robust cleaning or industrial processes.
The stubborn stains required the use of a strong lye solution to clean effectively.
2. Food-grade lye: denotes lye that is safe for use in food preparation, such as making pretzels or hominy.
The chef used food-grade lye to pretreat the pretzel dough for a classic, authentic taste.
3. Lye solution: describes the mixture formed by dissolving lye in water or another liquid.
The soap maker mixed the oils and lye solution to begin the soap-making process.
4. Caustic lye: refers to a lye with highly corrosive properties, often used in industrial applications.
Due to its caustic nature, caustic lye should be handled with extreme care and proper safety equipment.

Correct spelling, explanation: both lie and lye are correct words, but they have different meanings and uses. Make sure to use the appropriate form based on the context of your sentence. There are several words in the English language that sound the same when spoken but actually have different spellings and meanings. Lye is a term that is used to refer to sodium hydroxide or caustic soda and potassium hydroxide. The word lie, on the other hand, is a term that is used as a noun and a verb.