Which to use
“bests” is an intj and “busts” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #47,490
- “bests” frequency rank
- #23,188
- “busts” frequency rank
- 70678
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | bests | busts |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A polite, formulaic end to a letter or email. | plural of bust |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set bests and busts apart are highlighted. They share 4 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: bests is /bɛsts/ while busts is /bʌsts/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - e in “bests” becomes u in “busts”, and the parts of speech differ too (intj vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 70678, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
bests is recorded at frequency rank #47,490, classified as anintj, pronounced /bɛsts/. busts is at rank #23,188, tagged as anoun, pronounced /bʌsts/.
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 70678, this pair ranks #49,568 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of bests vs busts
Shared letters: bst. Private to "bests": e. Private to "busts": u.
"bests" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC · "busts" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "bests" and "busts" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "bests" or "busts"?
Remembering bests vs busts
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an intj, it's “bests”; for a noun, it's “busts”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “bests” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable