Which to use
“resort” and “retort” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,841
- “resort” frequency rank
- #33,397
- “retort” frequency rank
- 37238
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | resort | retort |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A place where people go for recreation, especially one with facilities such as lodgings, entertainment, and a relaxing environment. | A sharp or witty reply, or one which turns an argument against its originator; a comeback. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set resort and retort apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. resort (/ɹɪˈzɔːt/) and retort (/ɹɪˈtɔɹt/) 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 a single letter - s in “resort” becomes t in “retort”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 37238, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
resort is recorded at frequency rank #3,841, classified as anoun, pronounced /ɹɪˈzɔːt/. retort is at rank #33,397, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ɹɪˈtɔɹt/.
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 37238, this pair ranks #296,246 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of resort vs retort
Shared letters: eort. Private to "resort": s. Private to "retort": -.
"resort" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC · "retort" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "resort" and "retort" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "resort" or "retort"?
Remembering resort vs retort
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 “resort” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable