elatedvseliteWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“elated” and “elite” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#30,017
“elated” frequency rank
#3,622
“elite” frequency rank
33639
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature elated elite
Definition Extremely happy and excited; delighted; pleased, euphoric. Of high birth or social position; aristocratic or patrician.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set elated and elite apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
elated
5 ch
elite

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. elated (/ɪˈleɪtɪd/) and elite (/ɪˈliːt/) 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 33639, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

elated is recorded at frequency rank #30,017, classified as anadj, pronounced /ɪˈleɪtɪd/. elite is at rank #3,622, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ɪˈliːt/.

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 33639, this pair ranks #327,686 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of elated vs elite

Shared letters: elt. Private to "elated": ad. Private to "elite": i.

"elated" · 6 letters · shape VCVCVC  ·  "elite" · 5 letters · shape VCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • elatedealted · elaetd · elatde · elatedd · elatted · ellated · eltaed · leated
  • eliteeilte · eliet · elitte · ellite · eltie · leite

Frequency comparison

elated#30,017
elite#3,622

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "elated" and "elite" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (/ɪˈleɪtɪd/ versus /ɪˈliːt/) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "elated" or "elite"?
"elite" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,622 in our English list, against #30,017 for "elated". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering elated vs elite

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “elated” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list