Which to use
“fraction” and “function” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #7,566
- “fraction” frequency rank
- #1,720
- “function” frequency rank
- 9286
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fraction | function |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A part of a whole, especially a comparatively small part. | What something does or is used for. |
Where the eye mixes fraction and function
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses fraction with function
A purely visual mix-up. fraction (/ˈfɹæk.ʃən/) and function (/ˈfʌŋ(k)ʃən/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 9286, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fraction is recorded at frequency rank #7,566, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈfɹæk.ʃən/. function is at rank #1,720, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈfʌŋ(k)ʃən/.
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 9286, this pair ranks #498,175 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of fraction vs function
Shared letters: cfinot. Private to "fraction": ar. Private to "function": u.
"fraction" · 8 letters · shape CCVCCVVC · "function" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "fraction" and "function" mean the same thing in a sentence?
In ordinary English text, does "fraction" or "function" show up more?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "fraction" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "function" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #498,175 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "fraction" and "function" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "fraction vs fractional". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #498,175 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.