Which to use
“data” and “dates” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #455
- “data” frequency rank
- #2,783
- “dates” frequency rank
- 3238
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | data | dates |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | plural of datum | plural of date |
Where the eye mixes data and dates
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. data (/ˈdɑː.tə/) and dates (/deɪts/) 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 3238, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
data is recorded at frequency rank #455, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈdɑː.tə/. dates is at rank #2,783, tagged as anoun, pronounced /deɪts/.
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 3238, this pair ranks #522,703 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of data vs dates
Shared letters: adt. Private to "data": -. Private to "dates": es.
"data" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "dates" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC