Which to use
“intense” and “intersex” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,698
- “intense” frequency rank
- #32,045
- “intersex” frequency rank
- 35743
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | intense | intersex |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Of a characteristic: extreme or very high or strong in degree; severe; also, excessive, towering. | Of an individual, having any of a variety of inherent conditions (in a species with distinct sexes) in which one's sex characteristics differ from those of a typical male and female; for example, having sex characteristics relating to both male and female sexes. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set intense and intersex apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. intense (/ɪnˈtɛns/) and intersex (/ˈɪn.tə.sɛks/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 35743, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
intense is recorded at frequency rank #3,698, classified as anadj, pronounced /ɪnˈtɛns/. intersex is at rank #32,045, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ˈɪn.tə.sɛks/.
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 35743, this pair ranks #309,310 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of intense vs intersex
Shared letters: einst. Private to "intense": -. Private to "intersex": rx.
"intense" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCV · "intersex" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "intense" and "intersex" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "intense" or "intersex"?
Remembering intense vs intersex
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “intense” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable