Which to use
“server” is a noun and “serves” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,259
- “server” frequency rank
- #3,725
- “serves” frequency rank
- 6984
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | server | serves |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A program that provides services to other programs or devices, either in the same computer or over a computer network. | third-person singular simple present indicative of serve |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set server and serves apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
server and serves 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 a single letter - r in “server” becomes s in “serves” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 6984, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
server is recorded at frequency rank #3,259, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈsɜːvə/. serves is at rank #3,725, tagged as averb, pronounced /sɝvz/.
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 6984, this pair ranks #509,106 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "server" and "serves" be used interchangeably?
Remembering server vs serves
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “server”; for a verb, it's “serves”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “server” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable