Which to use
“maimed” and “marred” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #36,651
- “maimed” frequency rank
- #25,839
- “marred” frequency rank
- 62490
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | maimed | marred |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Partially or wholly deprived of the use of some part of the body, usually by wounding or injury. | Spoiled; harmed or damaged. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set maimed and marred apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. maimed (/meɪmd/) and marred (/mɑːd/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 62490, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
maimed is recorded at frequency rank #36,651, classified as anadj, pronounced /meɪmd/. marred is at rank #25,839, tagged as anadj, pronounced /mɑːd/.
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 62490, this pair ranks #88,222 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of maimed vs marred
Shared letters: adem. Private to "maimed": i. Private to "marred": r.
"maimed" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC · "marred" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "maimed" and "marred" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "maimed" or "marred"?
Remembering maimed vs marred
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “maimed” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable