Which to use
“isotope” is a noun and “isotopic” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #23,875
- “isotope” frequency rank
- #43,723
- “isotopic” frequency rank
- 67598
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | isotope | isotopic |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Any of two or more forms of an element where the atoms have the same number of protons, but a different number of neutrons within their nuclei. Thus, isotopes have the same atomic number but a different mass number. | of, or relating to isotopes |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set isotope and isotopic apart are highlighted. They share 6 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: isotope is anoun and isotopicanadjective. On the page they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 67598, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
isotope is recorded at frequency rank #23,875, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈaɪ.sə.təʊp/. isotopic is at rank #43,723, 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 67598, this pair ranks #62,598 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of isotope vs isotopic
Shared letters: iopst. Private to "isotope": e. Private to "isotopic": c.
"isotope" · 7 letters · shape VCVCVCV · "isotopic" · 8 letters · shape VCVCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "isotope" and "isotopic" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "isotope" or "isotopic"?
Remembering isotope vs isotopic
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “isotope”; for an adjective, it's “isotopic”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “isotope” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable