Which to use
“settle” is a verb and “settled” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,847
- “settle” frequency rank
- #3,394
- “settled” frequency rank
- 7241
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | settle | settled |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To conclude or resolve (something): | Comfortable and at ease, especially after a period of change or unrest. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set settle and settled apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
settle and settled 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 extra letter(s) - “settle” sits inside “settled” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 7241, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
settle is recorded at frequency rank #3,847, classified as averb, pronounced /ˈsɛ.təl/. settled is at rank #3,394, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ˈsɛtl̩d/.
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 7241, this pair ranks #507,968 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "settle" and "settled" be used interchangeably?
Remembering settle vs settled
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “settle”; for an adjective, it's “settled”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “settle” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable