Which to use
“record” and “retort” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #625
- “record” frequency rank
- #33,397
- “retort” frequency rank
- 34022
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | record | retort |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | An item of information put into a temporary or permanent physical medium. | A sharp or witty reply, or one which turns an argument against its originator; a comeback. |
Where the eye mixes record and retort
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between record and retort
A purely visual mix-up. record (/ˈɹɛk.ɔːd/) and retort (/ɹɪˈtɔɹt/) 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 34022, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
record is recorded at frequency rank #625, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈɹɛk.ɔːd/. retort is at rank #33,397, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ɹɪˈtɔɹt/.
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 34022, this pair ranks #324,312 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of record vs retort
Shared letters: eor. Private to "record": cd. Private to "retort": t.
"record" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC · "retort" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "record" for "retort" ever safe?
Frequency check: "record" vs "retort" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "record" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "retort" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #324,312 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "record" and "retort" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "retort vs retry". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #324,312 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.