Which to use
“mimic” is a verb and “mimicry” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #15,218
- “mimic” frequency rank
- #45,519
- “mimicry” frequency rank
- 60737
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | mimic | mimicry |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To imitate, especially in order to ridicule. | An act or ability to simulate or effect the appearance, characteristics, or behavior of someone or something else. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set mimic and mimicry apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: mimic is /ˈmɪm.ɪk/ while mimicry is /ˈmɪm.ɪ.kɹi/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “mimic” sits inside “mimicry”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 60737, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
mimic is recorded at frequency rank #15,218, classified as averb, pronounced /ˈmɪm.ɪk/. mimicry is at rank #45,519, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈmɪm.ɪ.kɹi/.
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 60737, this pair ranks #98,358 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of mimic vs mimicry
Shared letters: cim. Private to "mimic": -. Private to "mimicry": ry.
"mimic" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "mimicry" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "mimic" and "mimicry" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "mimic" or "mimicry"?
Remembering mimic vs mimicry
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “mimic”; for a noun, it's “mimicry”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “mimic” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable