reportedvsreputedWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#1,096
“reported” frequency rank
#20,757
“reputed” frequency rank
21853
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature reported reputed
Definition simple past and past participle of report simple past and past participle of repute

Where the spellings diverge

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

8 ch
reported
7 ch
reputed

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. reported (/ɹɪˈpɔɹtɪd/) 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 21853, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

reported is recorded at frequency rank #1,096, classified as averb, pronounced /ɹɪˈpɔɹtɪd/. 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 21853, this pair ranks #420,867 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of reported vs reputed

Shared letters: deprt. Private to "reported": o. Private to "reputed": u.

"reported" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC  ·  "reputed" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • reportederported · reoprted · reporetd · reporrted · reportde · reportedd · reportted · repotred
  • reputederputed · repputed · reptued · repuetd · reputde · reputedd · reputted · reupted

Frequency comparison

reported#1,096
reputed#20,757

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "reported" and "reputed" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (/ɹɪˈpɔɹtɪd/ versus /ɹɪˈpju.tɪd/) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "reported" or "reputed"?
"reported" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,096 in our English list, against #20,757 for "reputed". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering reported 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 “reported” 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