Which to use
“phrase” and “phrases” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #4,320
- “phrase” frequency rank
- #8,467
- “phrases” frequency rank
- 12787
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | phrase | phrases |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A short written or spoken expression. | plural of phrase |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set phrase and phrases apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
phrase and phrases form a confusable pair in the English index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “phrase” sits inside “phrases” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 12787, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
phrase is recorded at frequency rank #4,320, classified as anoun, pronounced /fɹeɪz/. phrases is at rank #8,467, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈfɹeɪzɪz/.
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 12787, this pair ranks #479,562 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "phrase" and "phrases" be used interchangeably?
Remembering phrase vs phrases
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 “phrase” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable