Which to use
“classes” and “clause” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,749
- “classes” frequency rank
- #7,205
- “clause” frequency rank
- 8954
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | classes | clause |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | plural of class | A group of words that contains a subject and a verb; it may be part of a sentence or may constitute the whole sentence, depending on the syntax in each instance. |
Where the eye mixes classes and clause
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between classes and clause
A purely visual mix-up. classes (/ˈklɑːsɪz/) and clause (/klɔːz/) 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 8954, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
classes is recorded at frequency rank #1,749, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈklɑːsɪz/. clause is at rank #7,205, tagged as anoun, pronounced /klɔːz/.
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 8954, this pair ranks #499,835 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of classes vs clause
Shared letters: acels. Private to "classes": -. Private to "clause": u.
"classes" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC · "clause" · 6 letters · shape CCVVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "classes" and "clause" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "classes" or "clause"?
What to do next
Eye-level mix-up between "classes" and "clause" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "classes" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "clause" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #499,835 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "classes" and "clause" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "chaise vs clause". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #499,835 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.