repertoirevsrepertoryWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#16,575
“repertoire” frequency rank
#29,811
“repertory” frequency rank
46386
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature repertoire repertory
Definition A list of dramas, operas, pieces, parts, etc., which a company or a person has rehearsed and is prepared to perform or display. A repertoire.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set repertoire and repertory apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

10 ch
repertoire
9 ch
repertory

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. repertoire (/ˈɹɛp.ə.twɑː/) and repertory (/ˈɹɛp.əɹˌtɔɹ.i/) 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 46386, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

repertoire is recorded at frequency rank #16,575, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈɹɛp.ə.twɑː/. repertory is at rank #29,811, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈɹɛp.əɹˌtɔɹ.i/.

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 46386, this pair ranks #212,252 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of repertoire vs repertory

Shared letters: eoprt. Private to "repertoire": i. Private to "repertory": y.

"repertoire" · 10 letters · shape CVCVCCVVCV  ·  "repertory" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • repertoireerpertoire · reeprtoire · reperotire · reperrtoire · repertiore · repertoier · repertoirre · repertorie
  • repertoryerpertory · reeprtory · reperotry · reperrtory · repertorry · repertoryy · repertoyr · repertroy

Frequency comparison

repertoire#16,575
repertory#29,811

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "repertoire" and "repertory" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (/ˈɹɛp.ə.twɑː/ versus /ˈɹɛp.əɹˌtɔɹ.i/) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "repertoire" or "repertory"?
"repertoire" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #16,575 in our English list, against #29,811 for "repertory". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering repertoire vs repertory

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 “repertoire” 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