encorevsendureWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: encore is a noun, endure is a verb, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“encore” is a noun and “endure” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#17,355
“encore” frequency rank
#9,328
“endure” frequency rank
26683
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature encore endure
Definition A brief extra performance, done after the main performance is complete. To continue or carry on, despite obstacles or hardships; to persist.

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
encore
6 ch
endure

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: encore is /ˈɒŋkɔː/ while endure is /ɪnˈd͡ʒʊə(ɹ)/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 26683, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

encore is recorded at frequency rank #17,355, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈɒŋkɔː/. endure is at rank #9,328, tagged as averb, pronounced /ɪnˈd͡ʒʊə(ɹ)/.

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 26683, this pair ranks #384,867 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of encore vs endure

Shared letters: enr. Private to "encore": co. Private to "endure": du.

"encore" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCV  ·  "endure" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • encoreecnore · enccore · encoer · encorre · encroe · enncore · enocre · necore
  • endureednure · enddure · endrue · enduer · endurre · enndure · enudre · nedure

Frequency comparison

encore#17,355
endure#9,328

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "encore" and "endure" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "encore" is a noun and "endure" a verb, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "encore" or "endure"?
"endure" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #9,328 in our English list, against #17,355 for "encore". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering encore vs endure

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “encore”; for a verb, it's “endure”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “encore” 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