fieldvsfileConfusable pair

Quick tell: field is a noun, file is a verb, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“field” is a noun and “file” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#23,783
“field” frequency rank
#27,231
“file” frequency rank
51014
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature field file
Definition Campo. Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de subjuntivo de filar.

Where the eye mixes field and file

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.

5 ch
field
4 ch
file

Why the eye confuses field with file

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: field is /fiːld/ while file is [ˈfile]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 51014, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

field is recorded at frequency rank #23,783, classified as anoun, pronounced /fiːld/. file is at rank #27,231, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈfile].

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 51014, this pair ranks #100,153 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of field vs file

Shared letters: efil. Private to "field": d. Private to "file": -.

"field" · 5 letters · shape CVVCC  ·  "file" · 4 letters · shape CVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • fieldfeild · ffield · fieldd · fielld · filed · ifeld
  • fileffile · fille · flie · ifle

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "field" and "file" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "field" is a noun and "file" a verb, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Frequency check: "field" vs "file" - which ranks higher?
"field" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #23,783 in our Spanish list, against #27,231 for "file". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

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 "field" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "file" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #100,153 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "field" and "file" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "file vs filos". 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 #100,153 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list