Which to use
“patted” and “payed” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #37,148
- “patted” frequency rank
- #30,911
- “payed” frequency rank
- 68059
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | patted | payed |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | simple past and past participle of pat | Obsolete spelling of paid. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set patted and payed apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
patted and payed are indexed as a confusable English pair. We have no recorded pronunciation or part of speech for both members, so the spelling overlap is what we can show you: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 68059, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
patted is recorded at frequency rank #37,148, classified as averb, pronounced /ˈpatɪd/. payed is at rank #30,911, tagged as averb.
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 68059, this pair ranks #60,614 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of patted vs payed
Shared letters: adep. Private to "patted": t. Private to "payed": y.
"patted" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "payed" · 5 letters · shape CVVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "patted" and "payed" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "patted" or "payed"?
Remembering patted vs payed
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “patted” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable