aghvsalgoWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: agh is a intj, algo is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“agh” is an intj and “algo” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#44,044
“agh” frequency rank
#49,758
“algo” frequency rank
93802
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature agh algo
Definition An exclamation of mild horror, disgust or frustration Clipping of algorithm.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set agh and algo apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

3 ch
agh
4 ch
algo

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: agh is [æː(x)] while algo is /ˈæl.ɡoʊ̯/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (intj vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 93802, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

agh is recorded at frequency rank #44,044, classified as anintj, pronounced [æː(x)]. algo is at rank #49,758, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈæl.ɡoʊ̯/.

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 93802, this pair ranks #1,698 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of agh vs algo

Shared letters: ag. Private to "agh": h. Private to "algo": lo.

"agh" · 3 letters · shape VCC  ·  "algo" · 4 letters · shape VCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • algoaglo · alggo · allgo · alog · lago

Frequency comparison

agh#44,044
algo#49,758

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "agh" and "algo" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "agh" is an intj and "algo" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "agh" or "algo"?
"agh" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #44,044 in our English list, against #49,758 for "algo". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering agh vs algo

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need an intj, it's “agh”; for a noun, it's “algo”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “agh” 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