Which to use
“CRISPR” and “crisps” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #44,144
- “CRISPR” frequency rank
- #25,720
- “crisps” frequency rank
- 69864
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | CRISPR | crisps |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Segments of bacteria and archaea DNA containing short repetitions of base sequences. | plural of crisp |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set CRISPR and crisps apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. CRISPR (/ˈkrɪspər/) and crisps (/kɹɪsps/) 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 a single letter - r in “CRISPR” becomes s in “crisps”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 69864, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
CRISPR is recorded at frequency rank #44,144, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈkrɪspər/. crisps is at rank #25,720, tagged as anoun, pronounced /kɹɪsps/.
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 69864, this pair ranks #52,819 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of CRISPR vs crisps
Shared letters: ciprs. Private to "CRISPR": -. Private to "crisps": -.
"CRISPR" · 6 letters · shape CCVCCC · "crisps" · 6 letters · shape CCVCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "CRISPR" and "crisps" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "CRISPR" or "crisps"?
Remembering CRISPR vs crisps
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “CRISPR” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable