Which to use
“diagnose” is a verb and “diagnosis” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #16,889
- “diagnose” frequency rank
- #5,121
- “diagnosis” frequency rank
- 22010
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | diagnose | diagnosis |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To determine which disease is causing a sick person's signs and symptoms; to find the diagnosis. | The process of, or an instance of, identification of the nature and cause of a medical condition or illness. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set diagnose and diagnosis apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: diagnose is /ˈdʌɪ.əɡˌnəʊz/ while diagnosis is /daɪəɡˈnəʊsɪs/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 22010, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
diagnose is recorded at frequency rank #16,889, classified as averb, pronounced /ˈdʌɪ.əɡˌnəʊz/. diagnosis is at rank #5,121, tagged as anoun, pronounced /daɪəɡˈnəʊsɪs/.
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 22010, this pair ranks #419,731 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of diagnose vs diagnosis
Shared letters: adginos. Private to "diagnose": e. Private to "diagnosis": -.
"diagnose" · 8 letters · shape CVVCCVCV · "diagnosis" · 9 letters · shape CVVCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "diagnose" and "diagnosis" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "diagnose" or "diagnosis"?
Remembering diagnose vs diagnosis
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “diagnose”; for a noun, it's “diagnosis”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “diagnose” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable