Which to use
“decrees” and “degree” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #26,393
- “decrees” frequency rank
- #1,217
- “degree” frequency rank
- 27610
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | decrees | degree |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | plural of decree | A stage of proficiency or qualification in a course of study, now especially an award bestowed by a university/college, as a certification of academic achievement. (In the United States, can include secondary schools.) |
Where the eye mixes decrees and degree
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses decrees with degree
A purely visual mix-up. decrees (/dəˈkɹiz/) and degree (/dɪˈɡɹiː/) 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 27610, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
decrees is recorded at frequency rank #26,393, classified as anoun, pronounced /dəˈkɹiz/. degree is at rank #1,217, tagged as anoun, pronounced /dɪˈɡɹiː/.
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 27610, this pair ranks #377,567 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of decrees vs degree
Shared letters: der. Private to "decrees": cs. Private to "degree": g.
"decrees" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVVC · "degree" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "decrees" and "degree" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "decrees" or "degree"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "decrees" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "degree" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #377,567 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "decrees" and "degree" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "decrees vs depress". 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 #377,567 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.