Which to use
“iron” is a noun and “ironed” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,866
- “iron” frequency rank
- #32,047
- “ironed” frequency rank
- 33913
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | iron | ironed |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A common, inexpensive metal, silvery grey when untarnished, that rusts, is attracted by magnets, and is used in making steel: a chemical element having atomic number 26 and symbol Fe. | Proivided with, or strengthened by, iron; shod with iron. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set iron and ironed apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: iron is anoun and ironedanadjective. On the page they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “iron” sits inside “ironed”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 33913, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
iron is recorded at frequency rank #1,866, classified as anoun, pronounced /æːn/. ironed is at rank #32,047, tagged as anadj.
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 33913, this pair ranks #325,330 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of iron vs ironed
Shared letters: inor. Private to "iron": -. Private to "ironed": de.
"iron" · 4 letters · shape VCVC · "ironed" · 6 letters · shape VCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "iron" and "ironed" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "iron" or "ironed"?
Remembering iron vs ironed
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “iron”; for an adjective, it's “ironed”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “iron” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable