Which to use
“percentage” and “percentile” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,122
- “percentage” frequency rank
- #25,877
- “percentile” frequency rank
- 28999
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | percentage | percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | The amount, number or rate of something, regarded as part of a total of 100; a part of a whole. | Any of the ninety-nine points that divide an ordered distribution into one hundred parts, each containing one per cent of the population. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set percentage and percentile apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
percentage and percentile form a confusable pair in the English index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 28999, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
percentage is recorded at frequency rank #3,122, classified as anoun, pronounced /pə(ɹ)ˈsɛntɪd͡ʒ/. percentile is at rank #25,877, tagged as anoun, pronounced /pəɹˈsɛn.taɪl/.
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 28999, this pair ranks #366,575 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "percentage" and "percentile" be used interchangeably?
Remembering percentage vs percentile
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 “percentage” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable