Which to use
“statue” and “statute” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #6,186
- “statue” frequency rank
- #9,257
- “statute” frequency rank
- 15443
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | statue | statute |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A three-dimensional work of art, usually representing a person or animal, usually created by sculpting, carving, molding, or casting. | A written law or ordinance passed by a legislative body. |
Where the eye mixes statue and statute
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between statue and statute
A purely visual mix-up. statue (/ˈstæt͡ʃ.uː/) and statute (/ˈstatjuːt/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15443, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
statue is recorded at frequency rank #6,186, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈstæt͡ʃ.uː/. 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 15443, this pair ranks #463,929 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of statue vs statute
Shared letters: aestu. Private to "statue": -. Private to "statute": -.
"statue" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVV · "statute" · 7 letters · shape CCVCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "statue" and "statute" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "statue" or "statute"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "statue" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "statute" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #463,929 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "statue" and "statute" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "statuette vs statute". 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 #463,929 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.