Which to use
“paddle” is a noun and “peddle” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #15,239
- “paddle” frequency rank
- #39,021
- “peddle” frequency rank
- 54260
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | paddle | peddle |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A two-handed implement consisting of a shaft with one or two blades attached to the end(s) used to propel a canoe, kayak or a small boat. A paddle is unattached to the boat and freely operated with the hands, compared with an oar which is attached to the boat at a pivot point. | To sell things, especially door to door or in insignificant quantities. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set paddle and peddle 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: paddle is /ˈpædl̩/ while peddle is /ˈpɛdəl/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - a in “paddle” becomes e in “peddle”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 54260, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
paddle is recorded at frequency rank #15,239, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈpædl̩/. peddle is at rank #39,021, tagged as averb, pronounced /ˈpɛdəl/.
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 54260, this pair ranks #142,488 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of paddle vs peddle
Shared letters: delp. Private to "paddle": a. Private to "peddle": -.
"paddle" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV · "peddle" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "paddle" and "peddle" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "paddle" or "peddle"?
Remembering paddle vs peddle
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “paddle”; for a verb, it's “peddle”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “paddle” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable