Which to use
“learned” is an adjective and “learnt” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,486
- “learned” frequency rank
- #8,684
- “learnt” frequency rank
- 10170
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | learned | learnt |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Having much learning, knowledgeable, erudite; highly educated. | simple past of learn |
Where the eye mixes learned and learnt
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses learned with learnt
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: learned is /ˈlɜːnɪd/ while learnt is /ˈlɜːnt/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 10170, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
learned is recorded at frequency rank #1,486, classified as anadj, pronounced /ˈlɜːnɪd/. learnt is at rank #8,684, tagged as averb, pronounced /ˈlɜːnt/.
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 10170, this pair ranks #493,629 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of learned vs learnt
Shared letters: aelnr. Private to "learned": d. Private to "learnt": t.
"learned" · 7 letters · shape CVVCCVC · "learnt" · 6 letters · shape CVVCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "learned" for "learnt" ever safe?
In ordinary English text, does "learned" or "learnt" show up more?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "learned" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "learnt" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #493,629 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "learned" and "learnt" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "leaded vs learned". 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 #493,629 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.