Which to use
“iteration” is a noun and “iterative” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #17,395
- “iteration” frequency rank
- #34,550
- “iterative” frequency rank
- 51945
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | iteration | iterative |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A recital or a second performance; a repetition. | Of a procedure that involves repetition of steps (iteration) to achieve the desired outcome; in computing this may involve a mechanism such as a loop. |
Where the eye mixes iteration and iterative
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses iteration with iterative
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: iteration is /ˌɪt.əˈɹeɪ.ʃən/ while iterative is /ˈɪt(ə)ɹətɪv/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 51945, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
iteration is recorded at frequency rank #17,395, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˌɪt.əˈɹeɪ.ʃən/. iterative is at rank #34,550, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ˈɪt(ə)ɹətɪv/.
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 51945, this pair ranks #161,194 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of iteration vs iterative
Shared letters: aeirt. Private to "iteration": no. Private to "iterative": v.
"iteration" · 9 letters · shape VCVCVCVVC · "iterative" · 9 letters · shape VCVCVCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "iteration" and "iterative" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "iteration" or "iterative"?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "iteration" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "iterative" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #161,194 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "iteration" and "iterative" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "integrative vs iterative". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #161,194 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.