Which to use
“embrace” is a verb and “embraces” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #5,494
- “embrace” frequency rank
- #18,299
- “embraces” frequency rank
- 23793
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | embrace | embraces |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To clasp (someone or each other) in the arms with affection; to take in the arms; to hug. | plural of embrace |
Where the eye mixes embrace and embraces
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. embrace runs 7 letters (VCCCVCV) against embraces's 8 (VCCCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between embrace and embraces
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: embrace is /ɛmˈbɹes/ while embraces is /ɛmˈbɹeɪsɪz/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “embrace” sits inside “embraces”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 23793, 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/. embraces is at rank #18,299, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ɛmˈbɹeɪsɪz/.
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 23793, this pair ranks #406,730 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of embrace vs embraces
Shared letters: abcemr. Private to "embrace": -. Private to "embraces": s.
"embrace" · 7 letters · shape VCCCVCV · "embraces" · 8 letters · shape VCCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "embrace" and "embraces" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "embrace" vs "embraces" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "embrace" and "embraces" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "embrace" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "embraces" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #406,730 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "embrace" and "embraces" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "embrace vs emirate". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #406,730 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.