Which to use
“tables” and “taboos” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #4,415
- “tables” frequency rank
- #36,775
- “taboos” frequency rank
- 41190
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | tables | taboos |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | plural of table | plural of taboo |
Where the eye mixes tables and taboos
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses tables with taboos
A purely visual mix-up. tables (/ˈteɪbl̩z/) and taboos (/təˈbuːz/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 41190, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
tables is recorded at frequency rank #4,415, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈteɪbl̩z/. taboos is at rank #36,775, tagged as anoun, pronounced /təˈbuːz/.
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 41190, this pair ranks #260,718 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of tables vs taboos
Shared letters: abst. Private to "tables": el. Private to "taboos": o.
"tables" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "taboos" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "tables" and "taboos" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "tables" or "taboos"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "tables" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "taboos" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #260,718 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "tables" and "taboos" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "taboos vs Taos". 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 #260,718 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.