Which to use
“scoff” and “scold” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #38,151
- “scoff” frequency rank
- #36,752
- “scold” frequency rank
- 74903
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | scoff | scold |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A derisive or mocking expression of scorn, contempt, or reproach. | A person who habitually scolds, in particular a troublesome and angry woman. |
Where the eye mixes scoff and scold
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence. scoff and scold follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (CCVCC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Look-alike desk: scoff vs scold
A purely visual mix-up. scoff (/skɒf/) and scold (/skəʊld/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 74903, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
scoff is recorded at frequency rank #38,151, classified as anoun, pronounced /skɒf/. 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 74903, this pair ranks #34,825 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of scoff vs scold
Shared letters: cos. Private to "scoff": f. Private to "scold": dl.
"scoff" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC · "scold" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "scoff" and "scold" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "scoff" or "scold"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "scoff" 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 #34,825 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "scoff" and "scold" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "scoff vs scruff". 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 #34,825 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.