Which to use
“shrew” is a noun and “skew” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #39,560
- “shrew” frequency rank
- #28,725
- “skew” frequency rank
- 68285
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | shrew | skew |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Any of numerous small, mouselike, chiefly nocturnal, mammals of the family Soricidae. | To form or shape in an oblique way; to cause to take an oblique position. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set shrew and skew apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: shrew is /ʃɹuː/ while skew is /skjuː/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 68285, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
shrew is recorded at frequency rank #39,560, classified as anoun, pronounced /ʃɹuː/. skew is at rank #28,725, tagged as averb, pronounced /skjuː/.
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 68285, this pair ranks #59,583 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of shrew vs skew
Shared letters: esw. Private to "shrew": hr. Private to "skew": k.
"shrew" · 5 letters · shape CCCVC · "skew" · 4 letters · shape CCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "shrew" and "skew" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "shrew" or "skew"?
Remembering shrew vs skew
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “shrew”; for a verb, it's “skew”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “shrew” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable