Which to use
“overtaken” is a verb and “overtaking” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #24,264
- “overtaken” frequency rank
- #28,657
- “overtaking” frequency rank
- 52921
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | overtaken | overtaking |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | past participle of overtake | The act by which one thing overtakes another. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set overtaken and overtaking apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: overtaken is averb and overtakinganoun. On the page they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 52921, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
overtaken is recorded at frequency rank #24,264, classified as averb, pronounced /ˈəʊvəɹteɪkən/. overtaking is at rank #28,657, tagged as anoun.
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 52921, this pair ranks #153,099 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of overtaken vs overtaking
Shared letters: aeknortv. Private to "overtaken": -. Private to "overtaking": gi.
"overtaken" · 9 letters · shape VCVCCVCVC · "overtaking" · 10 letters · shape VCVCCVCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- overtaken ← oevrtaken · overatken · overrtaken · overtaekn · overtakenn · overtakken · overtakne · overtkaen
- overtaking ← oevrtaking · overatking · overrtaking · overtaikng · overtakign · overtakingg · overtakinng · overtakking
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "overtaken" and "overtaking" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "overtaken" or "overtaking"?
Remembering overtaken vs overtaking
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “overtaken”; for a noun, it's “overtaking”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “overtaken” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable