Which to use
“ferry” is a verb and “furry” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #6,904
- “ferry” frequency rank
- #13,727
- “furry” frequency rank
- 20631
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ferry | furry |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To carry; transport; convey. | Covered with fur, or with something resembling fur. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ferry and furry 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: ferry is /ˈfɛɹ.i/ while furry is /ˈfɜː.ɹi/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - e in “ferry” becomes u in “furry”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 20631, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ferry is recorded at frequency rank #6,904, classified as averb, pronounced /ˈfɛɹ.i/. furry is at rank #13,727, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ˈfɜː.ɹi/.
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 20631, this pair ranks #429,774 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of ferry vs furry
Shared letters: fry. Private to "ferry": e. Private to "furry": u.
"ferry" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV · "furry" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ferry" and "furry" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "ferry" or "furry"?
Remembering ferry vs furry
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “ferry”; for an adjective, it's “furry”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “ferry” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable