Which to use
“paths” and “patio” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #6,945
- “paths” frequency rank
- #16,297
- “patio” frequency rank
- 23242
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | paths | patio |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | plural of path | A paved outside area, adjoining a house, used for dining or recreation. |
Where the eye mixes paths and patio
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses paths with patio
A purely visual mix-up. paths (/pɑːðz/) and patio (/ˈpæt.i.əʊ/) 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 23242, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
paths is recorded at frequency rank #6,945, classified as anoun, pronounced /pɑːðz/. patio is at rank #16,297, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈpæt.i.əʊ/.
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 23242, this pair ranks #410,719 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of paths vs patio
Shared letters: apt. Private to "paths": hs. Private to "patio": io.
"paths" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC · "patio" · 5 letters · shape CVCVV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "paths" and "patio" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "paths" or "patio"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "paths" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "patio" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #410,719 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "paths" and "patio" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Patil vs patio". 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 #410,719 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.