Which to use
“rains” and “reigns” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #9,085
- “rains” frequency rank
- #14,621
- “reigns” frequency rank
- 23706
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | rains | reigns |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | plural of rain | plural of reign |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set rains and reigns apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
This is the hard kind. rains and reigns are pronounced identically (/ɹeɪnz/) and both work as anoun. Neither the ear nor the grammar will rescue you; only the meaning does, so the glosses below are the whole decision. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 23706, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
rains is recorded at frequency rank #9,085, classified as anoun, pronounced /ɹeɪnz/. reigns is at rank #14,621, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ɹeɪnz/.
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 23706, this pair ranks #407,351 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of rains vs reigns
Shared letters: inrs. Private to "rains": a. Private to "reigns": eg.
"rains" · 5 letters · shape CVVCC · "reigns" · 6 letters · shape CVVCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "rains" and "reigns" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "rains" or "reigns"?
Remembering rains vs reigns
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 “rains” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable