Which to use
“pare” is a verb and “parole” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #37,620
- “pare” frequency rank
- #9,933
- “parole” frequency rank
- 47553
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | pare | parole |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To remove the outer covering or skin of something with a cutting device, typically a knife. | Originally, one's oath or word of honour, given as a condition of release from custody; now specifically, describing the release of a former prisoner under certain conditions, especially the promise of good behaviour. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set pare and parole apart are highlighted. They share 4 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: pare is /pɛə/ while parole is /pəˈɹoʊl/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47553, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
pare is recorded at frequency rank #37,620, classified as averb, pronounced /pɛə/. parole is at rank #9,933, tagged as anoun, pronounced /pəˈɹoʊl/.
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 47553, this pair ranks #201,410 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of pare vs parole
Shared letters: aepr. Private to "pare": -. Private to "parole": lo.
"pare" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "parole" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "pare" and "parole" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "pare" or "parole"?
Remembering pare vs parole
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “pare”; for a noun, it's “parole”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “pare” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable