Which to use
“barbaric” is an adjective and “Barbary” is a name - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #20,293
- “barbaric” frequency rank
- #46,329
- “Barbary” frequency rank
- 66622
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | barbaric | Barbary |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | of or relating to a barbarian; uncivilized, uncultured or uncouth | The Mediterranean coastal areas of North Africa that were used as a base by pirates in the 16th to 19th centuries. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set barbaric and Barbary apart are highlighted. They share 6 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: barbaric is /bɑː(ɹ)ˈbæɹɪk/ while Barbary is /ˈbɑː(ɹ)bəɹi/. 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 (adjective vs name), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 66622, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
barbaric is recorded at frequency rank #20,293, classified as anadj, pronounced /bɑː(ɹ)ˈbæɹɪk/. Barbary is at rank #46,329, tagged as aname, pronounced /ˈbɑː(ɹ)bəɹi/.
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 66622, this pair ranks #67,150 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of barbaric vs Barbary
Shared letters: abr. Private to "barbaric": ci. Private to "Barbary": y.
"barbaric" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC · "Barbary" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "barbaric" and "Barbary" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "barbaric" or "Barbary"?
Remembering barbaric vs Barbary
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “barbaric”; for a name, it's “Barbary”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “barbaric” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable