Which to use
“chimera” and “chimes” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #34,823
- “chimera” frequency rank
- #26,720
- “chimes” frequency rank
- 61543
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | chimera | chimes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Alternative letter-case form of Chimera, a supposed monster in Lycia with the head of a lion, body of a goat, and tail of a dragon or serpent, killed by the hero Bellerophon. | plural of chime |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set chimera and chimes apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. chimera (/kaɪˈmɪɹə/) and chimes (/t͡ʃaɪmz/) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 61543, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
chimera is recorded at frequency rank #34,823, classified as anoun, pronounced /kaɪˈmɪɹə/. chimes is at rank #26,720, tagged as anoun, pronounced /t͡ʃaɪmz/.
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 61543, this pair ranks #93,656 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of chimera vs chimes
Shared letters: cehim. Private to "chimera": ar. Private to "chimes": s.
"chimera" · 7 letters · shape CCVCVCV · "chimes" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "chimera" and "chimes" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "chimera" or "chimes"?
Remembering chimera vs chimes
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 “chimera” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable