scoredvsscornedWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: scored is a verb, scorned is an adjective, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“scored” is a verb and “scorned” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#2,365
“scored” frequency rank
#34,275
“scorned” frequency rank
36640
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature scored scorned
Definition simple past and past participle of score Hated, despised, or avoided.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set scored and scorned apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
scored
7 ch
scorned

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

scored and scorned form a confusable pair in the English index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 36640, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

scored is recorded at frequency rank #2,365, classified as averb, pronounced /skɔː(ɹ)d/. scorned is at rank #34,275, tagged as anadj, pronounced /skɔɹnd/.

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 36640, this pair ranks #301,451 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Frequency comparison

scored#2,365
scorned#34,275

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "scored" and "scorned" be used interchangeably?
No, "scored" and "scorned" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering scored vs scorned

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “scored”; for an adjective, it's “scorned”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “scored” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list