Which to use
“competes” and “compute” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #21,756
- “competes” frequency rank
- #16,868
- “compute” frequency rank
- 38624
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | competes | compute |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | third-person singular simple present indicative of compete | To reckon, calculate. |
Where the eye mixes competes and compute
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: competes vs compute
A purely visual mix-up. competes (/kəmˈpiːts/) and compute (/kəmˈpjuːt/) 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 38624, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
competes is recorded at frequency rank #21,756, classified as averb, pronounced /kəmˈpiːts/. compute is at rank #16,868, tagged as averb, pronounced /kəmˈpjuːt/.
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 38624, this pair ranks #284,272 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of competes vs compute
Shared letters: cemopt. Private to "competes": s. Private to "compute": u.
"competes" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC · "compute" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "competes" and "compute" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "competes" vs "compute" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "competes" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "compute" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #284,272 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "competes" and "compute" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "compels vs competes". 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 #284,272 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.