Which to use
“torque” and “torus” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #12,154
- “torque” frequency rank
- #49,104
- “torus” frequency rank
- 61258
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | torque | torus |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A rotational or twisting effect of a force; a moment of force, defined for measurement purposes as an equivalent straight line force multiplied by the distance from the axis of rotation (SI unit newton-metre or N·m; imperial unit pound-foot or lb·ft, not to be confused with the foot pound-force, commonly "foot-pound", a unit of work or energy) | The standard representation of such a space in 3-dimensional Euclidean space: a surface or solid formed by rotating a closed curve, especially a circle, about a line which lies in the same plane but does not intersect it (e.g. like a ring doughnut). |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set torque and torus apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
torque and torus 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 1 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 61258, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
torque is recorded at frequency rank #12,154, classified as anoun, pronounced /tɔɹk/. torus is at rank #49,104, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈtɔː.ɹəs/.
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 61258, this pair ranks #95,273 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "torque" and "torus" be used interchangeably?
Remembering torque vs torus
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 “torque” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable