Which to use
“result” is a verb and “results” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #681
- “result” frequency rank
- #595
- “results” frequency rank
- 1276
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | result | results |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To proceed, spring up or rise, as a consequence, from facts, arguments, premises, combination of circumstances, consultation, thought or endeavor. | plural of result |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set result and results apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: result is /ɹɪˈzʌlt/ while results is /ɹɪˈzʌlts/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “result” sits inside “results”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 1276, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
result is recorded at frequency rank #681, classified as averb, pronounced /ɹɪˈzʌlt/. results is at rank #595, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ɹɪˈzʌlts/.
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 1276, this pair ranks #527,741 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of result vs results
Shared letters: elrstu. Private to "result": -. Private to "results": -.
"result" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC · "results" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCC