resetvsresultConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#9,246
“reset” frequency rank
#681
“result” frequency rank
9927
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature reset result
Definition To set back to the initial state. To proceed, spring up or rise, as a consequence, from facts, arguments, premises, combination of circumstances, consultation, thought or endeavor.

Where the eye mixes reset and result

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.

5 ch
reset
6 ch
result

Visual trap between reset and result

A purely visual mix-up. reset (/ɹiːˈsɛt/) and result (/ɹɪˈzʌlt/) 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 9927, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

reset is recorded at frequency rank #9,246, classified as averb, pronounced /ɹiːˈsɛt/. result is at rank #681, tagged as averb, pronounced /ɹɪˈzʌlt/.

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 9927, this pair ranks #494,883 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of reset vs result

Shared letters: erst. Private to "reset": -. Private to "result": lu.

"reset" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC  ·  "result" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • reseterset · reest · resett · resset · reste · rreset · rseet
  • resultersult · reslut · ressult · resullt · resultt · resutl · reuslt · rresult

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "reset" for "result" ever safe?
No. They are said differently (/ɹiːˈsɛt/ versus /ɹɪˈzʌlt/) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
In ordinary English text, does "reset" or "result" show up more?
"result" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #681 in our English list, against #9,246 for "reset". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

After this comparison

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "reset" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "result" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #494,883 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "reset" and "result" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Renée vs reset". 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 #494,883 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list