Which to use
“computer” and “computers” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,136
- “computer” frequency rank
- #4,070
- “computers” frequency rank
- 5206
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | computer | computers |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 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. | plural of computer |
Where the eye mixes computer and computers
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between computer and computers
A purely visual mix-up. computer (/kəmˈpjuːtə/) and computers (/kəmˈpjuːtəz/) 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 extra letter(s) - “computer” sits inside “computers”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 5206, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
computer is recorded at frequency rank #1,136, classified as anoun, pronounced /kəmˈpjuːtə/. computers is at rank #4,070, tagged as anoun, pronounced /kəmˈpjuːtəz/.
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 5206, this pair ranks #516,198 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of computer vs computers
Shared letters: cemoprtu. Private to "computer": -. Private to "computers": s.
"computer" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC · "computers" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "computer" and "computers" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "computer" or "computers"?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "computer" and "computers" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "computer" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "computers" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #516,198 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "computer" and "computers" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "competes vs computers". 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 #516,198 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.