Which to use
“molecular” is an adjective and “molecule” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #5,985
- “molecular” frequency rank
- #11,746
- “molecule” frequency rank
- 17731
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | molecular | molecule |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Relating to, or consisting of, or produced by molecules. | The smallest particle of a specific element or compound that retains the chemical properties of that element or compound; two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set molecular and molecule apart are highlighted. They share 7 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: molecular is /məˈlɛk.jʊ.lə/ while molecule is /ˈmɒl.ɪ.kjuːl/. 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 noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 17731, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
molecular is recorded at frequency rank #5,985, classified as anadj, pronounced /məˈlɛk.jʊ.lə/. molecule is at rank #11,746, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈmɒl.ɪ.kjuːl/.
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 17731, this pair ranks #449,539 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of molecular vs molecule
Shared letters: celmou. Private to "molecular": ar. Private to "molecule": -.
"molecular" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCVCVC · "molecule" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "molecular" and "molecule" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "molecular" or "molecule"?
Remembering molecular vs molecule
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “molecular”; for a noun, it's “molecule”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “molecular” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable