Which to use
“become” and “becomes” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #381
- “become” frequency rank
- #1,552
- “becomes” frequency rank
- 1933
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | become | becomes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | begin to be; turn into (often with permanent states). | third-person singular simple present indicative of become |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set become and becomes apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. become (/bɪˈkʌm/) and becomes (/bɪˈkʌmz/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “become” sits inside “becomes”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 1933, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
become is recorded at frequency rank #381, classified as averb, pronounced /bɪˈkʌm/. becomes is at rank #1,552, tagged as averb, pronounced /bɪˈkʌmz/.
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 1933, this pair ranks #526,268 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of become vs becomes
Shared letters: bcemo. Private to "become": -. Private to "becomes": s.
"become" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV · "becomes" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "become" and "becomes" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "become" or "becomes"?
Remembering become vs becomes
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “become” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable