Which to use
“clasp” is a noun and “clasped” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #25,321
- “clasp” frequency rank
- #48,142
- “clasped” frequency rank
- 73463
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | clasp | clasped |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A device with interlocking parts used for fastening things together, such as a fastener or a holder. | simple past and past participle of clasp |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set clasp and clasped apart are highlighted. They share 5 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: clasp is /klæsp/ while clasped is /klæspt/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “clasp” sits inside “clasped”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 73463, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
clasp is recorded at frequency rank #25,321, classified as anoun, pronounced /klæsp/. clasped is at rank #48,142, tagged as averb, pronounced /klæspt/.
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 73463, this pair ranks #39,537 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of clasp vs clasped
Shared letters: aclps. Private to "clasp": -. Private to "clasped": de.
"clasp" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC · "clasped" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "clasp" and "clasped" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "clasp" or "clasped"?
Remembering clasp vs clasped
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “clasp”; for a verb, it's “clasped”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “clasp” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable