Which to use
“meth” and “methyl” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #12,640
- “meth” frequency rank
- #21,869
- “methyl” frequency rank
- 34509
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | meth | methyl |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Methamphetamine, especially in the form of the crystalline hydrochloride. | The univalent hydrocarbon radical, CH₃-, formally derived from methane by the loss of a hydrogen atom; a compound or part of a compound formed by the attachment of such a radical. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set meth and methyl apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
meth and methyl form a confusable pair in the English index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “meth” sits inside “methyl” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 34509, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
meth is recorded at frequency rank #12,640, classified as anoun, pronounced /mɛθ/. methyl is at rank #21,869, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈmɛθaɪl/.
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 34509, this pair ranks #320,182 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "meth" and "methyl" be used interchangeably?
Remembering meth vs methyl
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 “meth” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable