Which to use
“eleven” is a num and “elves” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #5,879
- “eleven” frequency rank
- #17,127
- “elves” frequency rank
- 23006
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | eleven | elves |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | The cardinal number occurring after ten and before twelve. Represented as 11 in Arabic digits. | plural of elf |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set eleven and elves apart are highlighted. They share 4 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: eleven is /ɪˈlɛvən/ while elves is /ɛlvz/. 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 (num vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 23006, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
eleven is recorded at frequency rank #5,879, classified as anum, pronounced /ɪˈlɛvən/. elves is at rank #17,127, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ɛlvz/.
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 23006, this pair ranks #412,417 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of eleven vs elves
Shared letters: elv. Private to "eleven": n. Private to "elves": s.
"eleven" · 6 letters · shape VCVCVC · "elves" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "eleven" and "elves" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "eleven" or "elves"?
Remembering eleven vs elves
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a num, it's “eleven”; for a noun, it's “elves”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “eleven” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable