computationalvscomputationallyWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: computational is a adjective, computationally is an adverb, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“computational” is an adjective and “computationally” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#12,566
“computational” frequency rank
#49,257
“computationally” frequency rank
61823
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature computational computationally
Definition Of or relating to computation. In a computational manner

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set computational and computationally apart are highlighted. They share 13 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

13 ch
computational
15 ch
computationally

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

computational and computationally form a confusable pair in the English index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “computational” sits inside “computationally” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 61823, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

computational is recorded at frequency rank #12,566, classified as anadj, pronounced /ˌkɒmpjʊˈteɪʃənəl/. computationally is at rank #49,257, tagged as anadv, pronounced /ˌkɒmpjʊˈteɪʃənəli/.

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 61823, this pair ranks #91,990 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Frequency comparison

computational#12,566
computationally#49,257

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "computational" and "computationally" be used interchangeably?
No, "computational" and "computationally" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering computational vs computationally

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “computational”; for an adverb, it's “computationally”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “computational” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list