Which to use
“replace” and “replay” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,593
- “replace” frequency rank
- #9,393
- “replay” frequency rank
- 11986
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | replace | replay |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To restore to a former place, position, condition, etc.; to put back. | To play again. |
Where the eye mixes replace and replay
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between replace and replay
A purely visual mix-up. replace (/ɹɪˈpleɪs/) and replay (/ɹiːˈpleɪ/) 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 11986, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
replace is recorded at frequency rank #2,593, classified as averb, pronounced /ɹɪˈpleɪs/. replay is at rank #9,393, tagged as averb, pronounced /ɹiːˈpleɪ/.
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 11986, this pair ranks #484,050 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of replace vs replay
Shared letters: aelpr. Private to "replace": c. Private to "replay": y.
"replace" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV · "replay" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "replace" and "replay" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "replace" or "replay"?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "replace" and "replay" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "replace" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "replay" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #484,050 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "replace" and "replay" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "replay vs roleplay". 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 #484,050 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.