Which to use
“state” and “statute” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #163
- “state” frequency rank
- #9,257
- “statute” frequency rank
- 9420
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | state | statute |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A condition; a set of circumstances applying at any given time. | A written law or ordinance passed by a legislative body. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set state and statute apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
state and statute 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 2 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 9420, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
state is recorded at frequency rank #163, classified as anoun, pronounced /steɪt/. statute is at rank #9,257, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈstatjuːt/.
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 9420, this pair ranks #497,481 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "state" and "statute" be used interchangeably?
Remembering state vs statute
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 “state” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable