Which to use
“quarry” and “quartz” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #13,047
- “quarry” frequency rank
- #11,275
- “quartz” frequency rank
- 24322
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | quarry | quartz |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A site for mining stone, such as limestone, or slate. | The most abundant mineral on the earth's surface, of chemical composition silicon dioxide, SiO₂. It occurs in a variety of forms, both crystalline and amorphous. Found in every environment. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set quarry and quartz apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. quarry (/ˈkwɒɹ.i/) and quartz (/k(w)ɔːts/) 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 24322, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
quarry is recorded at frequency rank #13,047, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈkwɒɹ.i/. quartz is at rank #11,275, tagged as anoun, pronounced /k(w)ɔːts/.
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 24322, this pair ranks #402,839 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of quarry vs quartz
Shared letters: aqru. Private to "quarry": y. Private to "quartz": tz.
"quarry" · 6 letters · shape CVVCCV · "quartz" · 6 letters · shape CVVCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "quarry" and "quartz" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "quarry" or "quartz"?
Remembering quarry vs quartz
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 “quarry” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable