Which to use
“elite” is an adjective and “excite” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,622
- “elite” frequency rank
- #19,831
- “excite” frequency rank
- 23453
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | elite | excite |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Of high birth or social position; aristocratic or patrician. | To stir the emotions of; to cause to feel excitement. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set elite and excite 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: elite is /ɪˈliːt/ while excite is /ɪkˈsaɪt/. 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 (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 23453, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
elite is recorded at frequency rank #3,622, classified as anadj, pronounced /ɪˈliːt/. excite is at rank #19,831, tagged as averb, pronounced /ɪkˈsaɪt/.
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 23453, this pair ranks #409,150 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of elite vs excite
Shared letters: eit. Private to "elite": l. Private to "excite": cx.
"elite" · 5 letters · shape VCVCV · "excite" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "elite" and "excite" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "elite" or "excite"?
Remembering elite vs excite
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “elite”; for a verb, it's “excite”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “elite” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable