Which to use
“embrace” and “embraced” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #5,494
- “embrace” frequency rank
- #10,359
- “embraced” frequency rank
- 15853
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | embrace | embraced |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To clasp (someone or each other) in the arms with affection; to take in the arms; to hug. | simple past and past participle of embrace |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set embrace and embraced apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. embrace (/ɛmˈbɹes/) and embraced (/ɪmˈbɹeɪst/) 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 extra letter(s) - “embrace” sits inside “embraced”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15853, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
embrace is recorded at frequency rank #5,494, classified as averb, pronounced /ɛmˈbɹes/. embraced is at rank #10,359, tagged as averb, pronounced /ɪmˈbɹeɪst/.
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 15853, this pair ranks #461,375 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of embrace vs embraced
Shared letters: abcemr. Private to "embrace": -. Private to "embraced": d.
"embrace" · 7 letters · shape VCCCVCV · "embraced" · 8 letters · shape VCCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "embrace" and "embraced" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "embrace" or "embraced"?
Remembering embrace vs embraced
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 “embrace” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable