Which to use
“allele” is a noun and “allude” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #32,269
- “allele” frequency rank
- #41,500
- “allude” frequency rank
- 73769
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | allele | allude |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | One of a number of alternative forms of the same gene occupying a given position, or locus, on a chromosome. | To refer to something indirectly or by suggestion; to invoke it by implication rather than mention. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set allele and allude apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: allele is /ˈæl.iːl/ while allude is /əˈljuːd/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 73769, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
allele is recorded at frequency rank #32,269, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈæl.iːl/. allude is at rank #41,500, tagged as averb, pronounced /əˈljuːd/.
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 73769, this pair ranks #38,491 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of allele vs allude
Shared letters: ael. Private to "allele": -. Private to "allude": du.
"allele" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCV · "allude" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "allele" and "allude" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "allele" or "allude"?
Remembering allele vs allude
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “allele”; for a verb, it's “allude”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “allele” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable