Which to use
“apart” is an adverb and “await” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,711
- “apart” frequency rank
- #12,374
- “await” frequency rank
- 14085
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | apart | await |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Placed separately (in regard to space or time). | To wait for. |
Where the eye mixes apart and await
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between apart and await
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: apart is /əˈpɑːt/ while await is /əˈweɪt/. 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 (adverb vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 14085, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
apart is recorded at frequency rank #1,711, classified as anadv, pronounced /əˈpɑːt/. await is at rank #12,374, tagged as averb, pronounced /əˈweɪt/.
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 14085, this pair ranks #472,135 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of apart vs await
Shared letters: at. Private to "apart": pr. Private to "await": iw.
"apart" · 5 letters · shape VCVCC · "await" · 5 letters · shape VCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "apart" for "await" ever safe?
Which is more common, "apart" or "await"?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "apart" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "await" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #472,135 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "apart" and "await" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "await vs aways". 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 #472,135 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.