Which to use
“reeve” is a noun and “Reeves” is a name - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #32,556
- “reeve” frequency rank
- #14,620
- “Reeves” frequency rank
- 47176
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | reeve | Reeves |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Any of several local officials, with varying responsibilities. | A surname originating as an occupation. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set reeve and Reeves 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: reeve is /ɹiːv/ while Reeves is /ɹiːvz/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “reeve” sits inside “Reeves”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs name), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47176, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
reeve is recorded at frequency rank #32,556, classified as anoun, pronounced /ɹiːv/. Reeves is at rank #14,620, tagged as aname, pronounced /ɹiːvz/.
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 47176, this pair ranks #204,845 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of reeve vs Reeves
Shared letters: erv. Private to "reeve": -. Private to "Reeves": s.
"reeve" · 5 letters · shape CVVCV · "Reeves" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "reeve" and "Reeves" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "reeve" or "Reeves"?
Remembering reeve vs Reeves
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “reeve”; for a name, it's “Reeves”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “reeve” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable