Which to use
“ravage” is a verb and “ravages” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #48,444
- “ravage” frequency rank
- #39,048
- “ravages” frequency rank
- 87492
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ravage | ravages |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To devastate, destroy or lay waste to something. | Harsh damage. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ravage and ravages apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: ravage is averb and ravagesanoun. On the page they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “ravage” sits inside “ravages”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 87492, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ravage is recorded at frequency rank #48,444, classified as averb, pronounced /ˈɹævɪd͡ʒ/. ravages is at rank #39,048, tagged as anoun.
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 87492, this pair ranks #7,528 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of ravage vs ravages
Shared letters: aegrv. Private to "ravage": -. Private to "ravages": s.
"ravage" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV · "ravages" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ravage" and "ravages" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "ravage" or "ravages"?
Remembering ravage vs ravages
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “ravage”; for a noun, it's “ravages”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “ravage” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable