Which to use
“count” and “counted” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,557
- “count” frequency rank
- #6,669
- “counted” frequency rank
- 8226
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | count | counted |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To recite numbers in sequence. | simple past and past participle of count |
Where the eye mixes count and counted
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: count vs counted
A purely visual mix-up. count (/kaʊnt/) and counted (/ˈkaʊntɪd/) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “count” sits inside “counted”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 8226, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
count is recorded at frequency rank #1,557, classified as averb, pronounced /kaʊnt/. counted is at rank #6,669, tagged as averb, pronounced /ˈkaʊntɪd/.
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 8226, this pair ranks #503,558 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of count vs counted
Shared letters: cnotu. Private to "count": -. Private to "counted": de.
"count" · 5 letters · shape CVVCC · "counted" · 7 letters · shape CVVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "count" for "counted" ever safe?
Frequency check: "count" vs "counted" - 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 "count" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "counted" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #503,558 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "count" and "counted" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "counted vs crusted". 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 #503,558 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.