Which to use
“remainder” and “reminder” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #6,830
- “remainder” frequency rank
- #5,909
- “reminder” frequency rank
- 12739
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | remainder | reminder |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A part or parts remaining after some has/have been removed or already occurred. | Someone or something that reminds. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set remainder and reminder apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. remainder (/ɹɪˈmeɪndə/) and reminder (/ɹɪˈmaɪndə(ɹ)/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 12739, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
remainder is recorded at frequency rank #6,830, classified as anoun, pronounced /ɹɪˈmeɪndə/. reminder is at rank #5,909, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ɹɪˈmaɪndə(ɹ)/.
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 12739, this pair ranks #479,830 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of remainder vs reminder
Shared letters: deimnr. Private to "remainder": a. Private to "reminder": -.
"remainder" · 9 letters · shape CVCVVCCVC · "reminder" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "remainder" and "reminder" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "remainder" or "reminder"?
Remembering remainder vs reminder
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 “remainder” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable