hundredvshundredsWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: hundred is a num, hundreds is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“hundred” is a num and “hundreds” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#2,000
“hundred” frequency rank
#2,447
“hundreds” frequency rank
4447
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature hundred hundreds
Definition A numerical value equal to 100 (10²), occurring after ninety-nine. plural of hundred

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set hundred and hundreds apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
hundred
8 ch
hundreds

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: hundred is /ˈhʌn.dɹəd/ while hundreds is /ˈhʌn.dɹədz/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “hundred” sits inside “hundreds”, and the parts of speech differ too (num vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 4447, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

hundred is recorded at frequency rank #2,000, classified as anum, pronounced /ˈhʌn.dɹəd/. hundreds is at rank #2,447, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈhʌn.dɹədz/.

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 4447, this pair ranks #518,895 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of hundred vs hundreds

Shared letters: dehnru. Private to "hundred": -. Private to "hundreds": s.

"hundred" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC  ·  "hundreds" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • hundredhhundred · hnudred · hudnred · hunddred · hunderd · hundrde · hundredd · hundrred
  • hundredshhundreds · hnudreds · hudnreds · hunddreds · hunderds · hundrdes · hundredds · hundredss

Frequency comparison

hundred#2,000
hundreds#2,447

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "hundred" and "hundreds" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "hundred" is a num and "hundreds" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "hundred" or "hundreds"?
"hundred" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,000 in our English list, against #2,447 for "hundreds". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering hundred vs hundreds

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a num, it's “hundred”; for a noun, it's “hundreds”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “hundred” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list