Which to use
“parser” and “passes” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #45,572
- “parser” frequency rank
- #3,321
- “passes” frequency rank
- 48893
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | parser | passes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A computer program that parses. | plural of pass |
Where the eye mixes parser and passes
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: parser vs passes
A purely visual mix-up. parser (/ˈpɑː(ɹ).zə/) and passes (/ˈpɑːsɪz/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 48893, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
parser is recorded at frequency rank #45,572, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈpɑː(ɹ).zə/. passes is at rank #3,321, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈpɑːsɪz/.
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 48893, this pair ranks #188,780 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of parser vs passes
Shared letters: aeps. Private to "parser": r. Private to "passes": -.
"parser" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "passes" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "parser" and "passes" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "parser" vs "passes" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "parser" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "passes" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #188,780 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "parser" and "passes" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "parley vs parser". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #188,780 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.