Which to use
“paid” is a verb and “past” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #44,122
- “paid” frequency rank
- #23,262
- “past” frequency rank
- 67384
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | paid | past |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Präteritum (simple past) des Verbs pay | Vergangenheit, Vorleben |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set paid and past apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: paid is averb and pastanoun. On the page they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 67384, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
paid is recorded at frequency rank #44,122, classified as averb, pronounced […]. past is at rank #23,262, tagged as anoun, pronounced [pɑːst].
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 67384, this pair ranks #541,885 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of paid vs past
Shared letters: ap. Private to "paid": di. Private to "past": st.
"paid" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "past" · 4 letters · shape CVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "paid" and "past" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "paid" or "past"?
Remembering paid vs past
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “paid”; for a noun, it's “past”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “paid” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable