Which to use
“negro” is an adjective and “negroes” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #10,732
- “negro” frequency rank
- #28,306
- “negroes” frequency rank
- 39038
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | negro | negroes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Relating to a black ethnicity. | plural of negro |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set negro and negroes 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: negro is /ˈniɡɹoʊ/ while negroes is /ˈniɡɹoʊz/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “negro” sits inside “negroes”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 39038, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
negro is recorded at frequency rank #10,732, classified as anadj, pronounced /ˈniɡɹoʊ/. negroes is at rank #28,306, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈniɡɹoʊz/.
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 39038, this pair ranks #280,423 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of negro vs negroes
Shared letters: egnor. Private to "negro": -. Private to "negroes": s.
"negro" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV · "negroes" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "negro" and "negroes" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "negro" or "negroes"?
Remembering negro vs negroes
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “negro”; for a noun, it's “negroes”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “negro” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable