Which to use
“invent” is a verb and “invented” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #13,544
- “invent” frequency rank
- #5,424
- “invented” frequency rank
- 18968
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | invent | invented |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To design a new process or mechanism. | fictional, made up, imaginary. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set invent and invented 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: invent is /ɪnˈvɛnt/ while invented is /ɪnˈvɛntɪd/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “invent” sits inside “invented”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 18968, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
invent is recorded at frequency rank #13,544, classified as averb, pronounced /ɪnˈvɛnt/. invented is at rank #5,424, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ɪnˈvɛntɪd/.
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 18968, this pair ranks #441,392 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of invent vs invented
Shared letters: eintv. Private to "invent": -. Private to "invented": d.
"invent" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC · "invented" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "invent" and "invented" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "invent" or "invented"?
Remembering invent vs invented
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “invent”; for an adjective, it's “invented”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “invent” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable