Which to use
“capacitor” and “capacity” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #23,192
- “capacitor” frequency rank
- #1,988
- “capacity” frequency rank
- 25180
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | capacitor | capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | An electronic component capable of storing electrical energy in an electric field; especially one consisting of two conductors separated by a dielectric. | The ability to hold, receive, or absorb. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set capacitor and capacity apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
capacitor and capacity form a confusable pair in the English index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 25180, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
capacitor is recorded at frequency rank #23,192, classified as anoun, pronounced /kəˈpæ.sɪ.tə/. capacity is at rank #1,988, tagged as anoun, pronounced /kəˈpæ.sɪ.ti/.
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 25180, this pair ranks #396,303 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "capacitor" and "capacity" be used interchangeably?
Remembering capacitor vs capacity
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 “capacitor” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable