illvsiteWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“ill” and “ite” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#43,059
“ill” frequency rank
#46,021
“ite” frequency rank
89080
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature ill ite
Definition Enfermo. Comido; participio pasado de ith.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ill and ite apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

3 ch
ill
3 ch
ite

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. ill (/ɪl/) and ite ([ˈɪtʲɪ]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 89080, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

ill is recorded at frequency rank #43,059, classified as anadj, pronounced /ɪl/. ite is at rank #46,021, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈɪtʲɪ].

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 89080, this pair ranks #3,364 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of ill vs ite

Shared letters: i. Private to "ill": l. Private to "ite": et.

"ill" · 3 letters · shape VCC  ·  "ite" · 3 letters · shape VCV

Frequency comparison

ill#43,059
ite#46,021

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "ill" and "ite" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (/ɪl/ versus [ˈɪtʲɪ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "ill" or "ite"?
"ill" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #43,059 in our Spanish list, against #46,021 for "ite". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering ill vs ite

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 “ill” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list