Which to use
“index” is a noun and “infer” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,628
- “index” frequency rank
- #23,568
- “infer” frequency rank
- 26196
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | index | infer |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | An alphabetical listing of items and their location. | To introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set index and infer apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
index and infer form a confusable pair in the English index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 26196, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
index is recorded at frequency rank #2,628, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈɪndɛks/. infer is at rank #23,568, tagged as averb, pronounced /ɪnˈfɜː/.
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 26196, this pair ranks #388,503 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "index" and "infer" be used interchangeably?
Remembering index vs infer
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “index”; for a verb, it's “infer”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “index” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable