Which to use
“scratch” is a verb and “scratched” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #5,547
- “scratch” frequency rank
- #15,266
- “scratched” frequency rank
- 20813
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | scratch | scratched |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To rub a surface with a sharp object, especially by a living creature to remove itching with nails, claws, etc. | Produced by scratching. |
Where the eye mixes scratch and scratched
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: scratch vs scratched
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: scratch is /skɹæt͡ʃ/ while scratched is /skɹæt͡ʃt/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “scratch” sits inside “scratched”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 20813, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
scratch is recorded at frequency rank #5,547, classified as averb, pronounced /skɹæt͡ʃ/. scratched is at rank #15,266, tagged as anadj, pronounced /skɹæt͡ʃt/.
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 20813, this pair ranks #428,477 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of scratch vs scratched
Shared letters: achrst. Private to "scratch": -. Private to "scratched": de.
"scratch" · 7 letters · shape CCCVCCC · "scratched" · 9 letters · shape CCCVCCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "scratch" for "scratched" ever safe?
Frequency check: "scratch" vs "scratched" - which ranks higher?
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 "scratch" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "scratched" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #428,477 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "scratch" and "scratched" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "scratched vs scratchy". 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 #428,477 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.