Which to use
“fifth” is an adjective and “fitch” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,719
- “fifth” frequency rank
- #20,636
- “fitch” frequency rank
- 22355
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fifth | fitch |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | The ordinal form of the number five. | A polecat, such as the European polecat (Mustela putorius), the striped polecat, steppe polecat, or black-footed polecat of America. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set fifth and fitch apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: fifth is anadjective and fitchanoun. On the page they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 22355, 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/. fitch is at rank #20,636, tagged as anoun.
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 22355, this pair ranks #417,197 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of fifth vs fitch
Shared letters: fhit. Private to "fifth": -. Private to "fitch": c.
"fifth" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC · "fitch" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "fifth" and "fitch" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "fifth" or "fitch"?
Remembering fifth vs fitch
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “fifth”; for a noun, it's “fitch”.
- 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