Which to use
“tested” and “trusted” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,144
- “tested” frequency rank
- #5,172
- “trusted” frequency rank
- 8316
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | tested | trusted |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | simple past and past participle of test | simple past and past participle of trust |
Where the eye mixes tested and trusted
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses tested with trusted
A purely visual mix-up. tested (/ˈtɛstɪd/) and trusted (/ˈtɹʌstɪd/) 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 8316, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
tested is recorded at frequency rank #3,144, classified as averb, pronounced /ˈtɛstɪd/. trusted is at rank #5,172, tagged as averb, pronounced /ˈtɹʌstɪd/.
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 8316, this pair ranks #503,113 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of tested vs trusted
Shared letters: dest. Private to "tested": -. Private to "trusted": ru.
"tested" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "trusted" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "tested" and "trusted" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "tested" vs "trusted" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "tested" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "trusted" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #503,113 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "tested" and "trusted" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "teared vs tested". 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 #503,113 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.