Which to use
“fifth” and “filthy” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,719
- “fifth” frequency rank
- #9,608
- “filthy” frequency rank
- 11327
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fifth | filthy |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | The ordinal form of the number five. | Covered with filth; very dirty. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set fifth and filthy apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
fifth and filthy form a confusable pair in the English index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 11327, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fifth is recorded at frequency rank #1,719, classified as anadj, pronounced /fɪfθ/. filthy is at rank #9,608, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ˈfɪlθi/.
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 11327, this pair ranks #487,662 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "fifth" and "filthy" be used interchangeably?
Remembering fifth vs filthy
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 “fifth” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable