Which to use
“scorn” and “scour” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #24,584
- “scorn” frequency rank
- #30,216
- “scour” frequency rank
- 54800
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | scorn | scour |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To feel or display contempt or disdain for something or somebody; to despise. | To clean, polish, or wash (something) by rubbing and scrubbing it vigorously, frequently with an abrasive or cleaning agent. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set scorn and scour apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
scorn and scour form a confusable pair in the English index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 54800, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
scorn is recorded at frequency rank #24,584, classified as averb, pronounced /skɔːn/. 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 54800, this pair ranks #138,378 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "scorn" and "scour" be used interchangeably?
Remembering scorn vs scour
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “scorn” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable