Which to use
“limited” is a verb and “limits” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,021
- “limited” frequency rank
- #3,178
- “limits” frequency rank
- 4199
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | limited | limits |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | simple past and past participle of limit | plural of limit |
Where the eye mixes limited and limits
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between limited and limits
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: limited is /ˈlɪm.ɪ.tɪd/ while limits is /ˈlɪmɪts/. 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 (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 4199, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
limited is recorded at frequency rank #1,021, classified as averb, pronounced /ˈlɪm.ɪ.tɪd/. limits is at rank #3,178, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈlɪmɪts/.
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 4199, this pair ranks #519,686 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of limited vs limits
Shared letters: ilmt. Private to "limited": de. Private to "limits": s.
"limited" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC · "limits" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "limited" for "limits" ever safe?
Which is more common, "limited" or "limits"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "limited" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "limits" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #519,686 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "limited" and "limits" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "limes vs limits". 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 #519,686 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.