Which to use
“write” is a verb and “written” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,008
- “write” frequency rank
- #861
- “written” frequency rank
- 1869
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | write | written |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To form letters, words or symbols on a surface in order to communicate. | Of, relating, or characteristic of writing (i.e., of that which has been written). |
Where the eye mixes write and written
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: write vs written
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: write is /ɹaɪt/ while written is /ˈɹɪ.tn̩/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 1869, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
write is recorded at frequency rank #1,008, classified as averb, pronounced /ɹaɪt/. written is at rank #861, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ˈɹɪ.tn̩/.
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 1869, this pair ranks #526,433 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of write vs written
Shared letters: eirtw. Private to "write": -. Private to "written": n.
"write" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV · "written" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "write" for "written" ever safe?
Frequency check: "write" vs "written" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "write" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "written" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #526,433 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "write" and "written" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "wile vs write". 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 #526,433 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.