repeatedvsreputedWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“repeated” and “reputed” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#4,481
“repeated” frequency rank
#20,757
“reputed” frequency rank
25238
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature repeated reputed
Definition simple past and past participle of repeat simple past and past participle of repute

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set repeated and reputed apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
repeated
7 ch
reputed

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. repeated (/ɹɪˈpiːtɪd/) and reputed (/ɹɪˈpju.tɪd/) 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 25238, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

repeated is recorded at frequency rank #4,481, classified as averb, pronounced /ɹɪˈpiːtɪd/. reputed is at rank #20,757, tagged as averb, pronounced /ɹɪˈpju.tɪd/.

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 25238, this pair ranks #395,847 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of repeated vs reputed

Shared letters: deprt. Private to "repeated": a. Private to "reputed": u.

"repeated" · 8 letters · shape CVCVVCVC  ·  "reputed" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • repeatederpeated · reepated · repaeted · repeaetd · repeatde · repeatedd · repeatted · repetaed
  • reputederputed · repputed · reptued · repuetd · reputde · reputedd · reputted · reupted

Frequency comparison

repeated#4,481
reputed#20,757

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "repeated" and "reputed" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (/ɹɪˈpiːtɪd/ versus /ɹɪˈpju.tɪd/) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "repeated" or "reputed"?
"repeated" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,481 in our English list, against #20,757 for "reputed". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering repeated vs reputed

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 “repeated” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list