Which to use
“define” is a verb and “Devine” is a name - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #4,224
- “define” frequency rank
- #27,806
- “Devine” frequency rank
- 32030
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | define | Devine |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To determine with precision; to mark out with distinctness; to ascertain or exhibit clearly. | A surname from Irish. |
Letter map: define vs Devine
Shared letters muted; letters that set define and Devine apart highlighted. Shared run: 5.
Grammar separator: define vs Devine
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: define is averb and Devineaname. On the page they differ by a single letter - f in “define” becomes v in “Devine”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 32030, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
define is recorded at frequency rank #4,224, classified as averb, pronounced /dɪˈfaɪn/. Devine is at rank #27,806, tagged as aname.
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 32030, this pair ranks #341,190 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of define vs Devine
Shared letters: dein. Private to "define": f. Private to "Devine": v.
"define" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV · "Devine" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "define" for "Devine" ever safe?
Frequency check: "define" vs "Devine" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Done with this confusable. These links stay specific to "define" and "Devine".
- Full dictionary entry for "define" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Devine" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #341,190 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "define" and "Devine" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Devine vs Devito". 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 #341,190 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.