Which to use
“hypnosis” is a noun and “hypnotic” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #20,956
- “hypnosis” frequency rank
- #24,474
- “hypnotic” frequency rank
- 45430
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | hypnosis | hypnotic |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A trancelike state, artificially induced, in which a person has a heightened suggestibility, and in which suppressed memories may be experienced. | Of or relating to hypnosis or hypnotism. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set hypnosis and hypnotic apart are highlighted. They share 6 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: hypnosis is /hɪpˈnoʊsɪs/ while hypnotic is /hɪpˈnɒ.tɪk/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 45430, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
hypnosis is recorded at frequency rank #20,956, classified as anoun, pronounced /hɪpˈnoʊsɪs/. hypnotic is at rank #24,474, tagged as anadj, pronounced /hɪpˈnɒ.tɪk/.
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 45430, this pair ranks #221,324 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of hypnosis vs hypnotic
Shared letters: hinopy. Private to "hypnosis": s. Private to "hypnotic": ct.
"hypnosis" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC · "hypnotic" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "hypnosis" and "hypnotic" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "hypnosis" or "hypnotic"?
Remembering hypnosis vs hypnotic
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “hypnosis”; for an adjective, it's “hypnotic”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “hypnosis” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable