Which to use
“vexing” and “vying” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #48,549
- “vexing” frequency rank
- #32,235
- “vying” frequency rank
- 80784
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | vexing | vying |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | present participle and gerund of vex | present participle and gerund of vie |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set vexing and vying apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
vexing and vying are indexed as a confusable English pair. We have no recorded pronunciation or part of speech for both members, so the spelling overlap is what we can show you: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 80784, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
vexing is recorded at frequency rank #48,549, classified as averb. vying is at rank #32,235, tagged as averb, pronounced /ˈvaɪ.ɪŋ/.
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 80784, this pair ranks #19,075 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of vexing vs vying
Shared letters: ginv. Private to "vexing": ex. Private to "vying": y.
"vexing" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC · "vying" · 5 letters · shape CVVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "vexing" and "vying" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "vexing" or "vying"?
Remembering vexing vs vying
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 “vexing” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable