Which to use
“enema” and “enemy” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #34,871
- “enema” frequency rank
- #2,038
- “enemy” frequency rank
- 36909
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | enema | enemy |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | An injection of fluid into the large intestine by way of the rectum, usually for medical purposes. | Someone who is hostile to, feels hatred towards, opposes the interests of, or intends injury to someone else. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set enema and enemy apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. enema (/ˈɛn.ə.mə/) and enemy (/ˈɛn.ə.mi/) 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 a single letter - a in “enema” becomes y in “enemy”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 36909, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
enema is recorded at frequency rank #34,871, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈɛn.ə.mə/. enemy is at rank #2,038, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈɛn.ə.mi/.
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 36909, this pair ranks #299,056 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of enema vs enemy
Shared letters: emn. Private to "enema": a. Private to "enemy": y.
"enema" · 5 letters · shape VCVCV · "enemy" · 5 letters · shape VCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "enema" and "enemy" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "enema" or "enemy"?
Remembering enema vs enemy
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 “enema” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable