Which to use
“delete” is a verb and “delft” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #4,935
- “delete” frequency rank
- #40,648
- “delft” frequency rank
- 45583
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | delete | delft |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To remove, get rid of or erase, especially written or printed material, or data on a computer or other device. | Alternative form of Delft (“style of earthenware”). |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set delete and delft apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
delete and delft form a confusable pair in the English index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 45583, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
delete is recorded at frequency rank #4,935, classified as averb, pronounced /dɪˈliːt/. delft is at rank #40,648, tagged as anoun, pronounced [dɛɫft].
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 45583, this pair ranks #219,893 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "delete" and "delft" be used interchangeably?
Remembering delete vs delft
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “delete”; for a noun, it's “delft”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “delete” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable