leave

leave
leave, let
Leave is well on its way to forcing out let in certain idiomatic uses, especially in leave / let be (Will you leave / let me be? I'm trying to work), leave / let go (Please leave / let go of the handle), and above all in leave / let alone when it means ‘to refrain from disturbing, not interfere with’ (I'll leave / let you alone to get on with it now). Leave alone is the only possibility when the meaning is ‘not to have dealings with’ (I wish you'd leave the matter alone), and let alone is still dominant in the meaning ‘still less, not to mention’ (They never buy a newspaper, let alone read one).

Modern English usage. 2014.

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