Which to use
“scoff” is a noun and “scour” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #38,151
- “scoff” frequency rank
- #30,216
- “scour” frequency rank
- 68367
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | scoff | scour |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A derisive or mocking expression of scorn, contempt, or reproach. | To clean, polish, or wash (something) by rubbing and scrubbing it vigorously, frequently with an abrasive or cleaning agent. |
Where the eye mixes scoff and scour
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence. scoff (CCVCC) and scour (CCVVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses scoff with scour
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: scoff is /skɒf/ while scour is /ˈskaʊə/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 68367, 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/. scour is at rank #30,216, tagged as averb, pronounced /ˈskaʊə/.
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 68367, this pair ranks #59,172 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of scoff vs scour
Shared letters: cos. Private to "scoff": f. Private to "scour": ru.
"scoff" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC · "scour" · 5 letters · shape CCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "scoff" and "scour" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary English text, does "scoff" or "scour" show up more?
What to do next
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 "scour" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #59,172 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "scoff" and "scour" 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 #59,172 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.