Which to use
“scala” and “scold” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #28,709
- “scala” frequency rank
- #36,752
- “scold” frequency rank
- 65461
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | scala | scold |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Ladder; sequence. | A person who habitually scolds, in particular a troublesome and angry woman. |
Letter map: scala vs scold
Shared letters muted; letters that set scala and scold apart highlighted. Shared run: 3. scala (CCVCV) and scold (CCVCC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Corpus notes: scala and scold
scala and scold are indexed as a confusable English pair. We have no recorded pronunciation or part of speech for both members, so the spelling overlap is what we can show you: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 65461, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
scala is recorded at frequency rank #28,709, classified as anoun. scold is at rank #36,752, tagged as anoun, pronounced /skəʊld/.
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 65461, this pair ranks #72,620 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of scala vs scold
Shared letters: cls. Private to "scala": a. Private to "scold": do.
"scala" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV · "scold" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "scala" and "scold" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "scala" vs "scold" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pair "scala" vs "scold" is on the table, pick a follow-up below.
- Full dictionary entry for "scala" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "scold" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #72,620 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "scala" and "scold" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "scold vs sola". 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 #72,620 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.