Which to use
“competed” is a verb and “computer” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #14,725
- “competed” frequency rank
- #1,136
- “computer” frequency rank
- 15861
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | competed | computer |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | simple past and past participle of compete | A programmable electronic device that performs mathematical calculations and logical operations, especially one that can process, store and retrieve large amounts of data very quickly; now especially, a small one for personal or home use employed for manipulating text or graphics, accessing the Internet, or playing games or media. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set competed and computer apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
competed and computer form a confusable pair in the English index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15861, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
competed is recorded at frequency rank #14,725, classified as averb, pronounced /kəmˈpiːtɪd/. computer is at rank #1,136, tagged as anoun, pronounced /kəmˈpjuːtə/.
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 15861, this pair ranks #461,336 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "competed" and "computer" be used interchangeably?
Remembering competed vs computer
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “competed”; for a noun, it's “computer”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “competed” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable