Which to use
“rakes” and “raven” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #41,329
- “rakes” frequency rank
- #9,805
- “raven” frequency rank
- 51134
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | rakes | raven |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | plural of rake | Any of several, generally large, species of birds in the genus Corvus with lustrous black plumage; especially the common raven (Corvus corax). |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set rakes and raven apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. rakes (/ɹeɪks/) and raven (/ˈɹeɪvn̩/) 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 51134, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
rakes is recorded at frequency rank #41,329, classified as anoun, pronounced /ɹeɪks/. raven is at rank #9,805, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈɹeɪvn̩/.
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 51134, this pair ranks #168,077 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of rakes vs raven
Shared letters: aer. Private to "rakes": ks. Private to "raven": nv.
"rakes" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "raven" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "rakes" and "raven" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "rakes" or "raven"?
Remembering rakes vs raven
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 “rakes” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable