Which to use
“annals” and “annoys” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #17,758
- “annals” frequency rank
- #19,011
- “annoys” frequency rank
- 36769
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | annals | annoys |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | plural of annal | plural of annoy |
Where the eye mixes annals and annoys
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. annals (VCCVCC) and annoys (VCCVVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: annals vs annoys
A purely visual mix-up. annals (/ˈæn.əlz/) and annoys (/əˈnɔɪz/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 36769, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
annals is recorded at frequency rank #17,758, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈæn.əlz/. annoys is at rank #19,011, tagged as anoun, pronounced /əˈnɔɪz/.
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 36769, this pair ranks #300,305 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of annals vs annoys
Shared letters: ans. Private to "annals": l. Private to "annoys": oy.
"annals" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC · "annoys" · 6 letters · shape VCCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "annals" and "annoys" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "annals" vs "annoys" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "annals" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "annoys" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #300,305 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "annals" and "annoys" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "annalise vs annals". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #300,305 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.