Which to use
“virtual” is an adjective and “virtue” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #4,202
- “virtual” frequency rank
- #7,872
- “virtue” frequency rank
- 12074
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | virtual | virtue |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | In effect or essence, rather than in fact or reality; also, imitated, simulated. | (uncountable) The idea of all that is good or excellent (in every sense of those terms) in a human being, collectively instantiated by a varying number of human traits known as "the virtues", the enumeration of which vary by the many virtue systems which have developed within different cultures, religions, and historical periods. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set virtual and virtue apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
virtual and virtue 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 12074, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
virtual is recorded at frequency rank #4,202, classified as anadj, pronounced /ˈvɜːt͡ʃʊəl/. virtue is at rank #7,872, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈvɜːt͡ʃuː/.
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 12074, this pair ranks #483,585 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "virtual" and "virtue" be used interchangeably?
Remembering virtual vs virtue
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “virtual”; for a noun, it's “virtue”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “virtual” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable