Which to use
“ama” is a noun and “are” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #15,325
- “ama” frequency rank
- #19
- “are” frequency rank
- 15344
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ama | are |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Alternative spelling of amah. | second-person singular simple present of be |
Where the eye mixes ama and are
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Why the eye confuses ama with are
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: ama is /ˈɑː.mə/ while are is /ə(ɹ)/. 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 15344, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ama is recorded at frequency rank #15,325, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈɑː.mə/. are is at rank #19, tagged as averb, pronounced /ə(ɹ)/.
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 15344, this pair ranks #464,547 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of ama vs are
Shared letters: a. Private to "ama": m. Private to "are": er.
"ama" · 3 letters · shape VCV · "are" · 3 letters · shape VCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ama" and "are" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary English text, does "ama" or "are" show up more?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "ama" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "are" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #464,547 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ama" and "are" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "ama vs Asta". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #464,547 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.