Which to use
“prize” is a noun and “prized” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,549
- “prize” frequency rank
- #18,662
- “prized” frequency rank
- 21211
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | prize | prized |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | That which is taken from another; something captured; a thing seized by force, stratagem, or superior power. | Highly valued, cherished. |
Where the eye mixes prize and prized
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between prize and prized
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: prize is /pɹaɪz/ while prized is /pɹaɪzd/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “prize” sits inside “prized”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 21211, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
prize is recorded at frequency rank #2,549, classified as anoun, pronounced /pɹaɪz/. prized is at rank #18,662, tagged as anadj, pronounced /pɹaɪzd/.
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 21211, this pair ranks #425,559 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of prize vs prized
Shared letters: eiprz. Private to "prize": -. Private to "prized": d.
"prize" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV · "prized" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "prize" for "prized" ever safe?
Which is more common, "prize" or "prized"?
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 "prize" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "prized" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #425,559 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "prize" and "prized" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "plied vs prized". 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 #425,559 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.