Which to use
“recipe” is a noun and “recite” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #4,886
- “recipe” frequency rank
- #20,200
- “recite” frequency rank
- 25086
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | recipe | recite |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A formula for preparing or using a medicine; a prescription; also, a medicine prepared from such instructions. | To repeat aloud (some passage, poem or other text previously memorized, or in front of one's eyes), often before an audience. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set recipe and recite apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: recipe is /ˈɹɛs.ɪ.pi/ while recite is /ɹɪˈsaɪt/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - p in “recipe” becomes t in “recite”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 25086, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
recipe is recorded at frequency rank #4,886, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈɹɛs.ɪ.pi/. recite is at rank #20,200, tagged as averb, pronounced /ɹɪˈsaɪt/.
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 25086, this pair ranks #397,032 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of recipe vs recite
Shared letters: ceir. Private to "recipe": p. Private to "recite": t.
"recipe" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV · "recite" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "recipe" and "recite" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "recipe" or "recite"?
Remembering recipe vs recite
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “recipe”; for a verb, it's “recite”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “recipe” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable