# demented vs dementia

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### demented
*adjective · IPA /dɪˈmɛntɪd/ · frequency rank #29,998*
Insane; mentally ill.

### dementia
*noun · IPA /dɪˈmɛnʃə/ · frequency rank #10,190*
A progressive decline in cognitive function due to damage or disease in the brain beyond what might be expected from normal aging. Areas particularly affected include memory, attention, judgement, language and problem solving.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/demented-vs-dementia