1dvs1stWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: 1d is a noun, 1st is an adjective, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“1d” is a noun and “1st” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#25,647
“1d” frequency rank
#1,549
“1st” frequency rank
27196
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature 1d 1st
Definition Abbreviation of one penny (a coin with the value of 1 pence/penny; 1/240th of a pound, in pre-decimalisation currency, never used for 'one new penny'). Abbreviation of first.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set 1d and 1st apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

2 ch
1d
3 ch
1st

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: 1d is anoun and 1stanadjective. On the page they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 27196, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

1d is recorded at frequency rank #25,647, classified as anoun. 1st is at rank #1,549, tagged as anadj, pronounced /fɝst/.

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 27196, this pair ranks #380,812 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of 1d vs 1st

Shared letters: none. Private to "1d": d. Private to "1st": st.

"1d" · 1 letters · shape C  ·  "1st" · 2 letters · shape CC

Frequency comparison

1d#25,647
1st#1,549

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "1d" and "1st" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "1d" is a noun and "1st" an adjective, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "1d" or "1st"?
"1st" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,549 in our English list, against #25,647 for "1d". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering 1d vs 1st

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “1d”; for an adjective, it's “1st”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “1d” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list