optvsopusWhat's the difference?

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

Which to use

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

#42,502
“opt” frequency rank
#8,746
“opus” frequency rank
51248
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature opt opus
Definition Opter. Indication utilisée pour désigner un morceau de musique répertorié par un numéro dans l’œuvre complète d’un compositeur.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set opt and opus apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

3 ch
opt
4 ch
opus

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: opt is \ɒpt\ while opus is \ɔ.pys\. 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 (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 51248, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

opt is recorded at frequency rank #42,502, classified as averb, pronounced \ɒpt\. opus is at rank #8,746, tagged as anoun, pronounced \ɔ.pys\.

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 51248, this pair ranks #156,473 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of opt vs opus

Shared letters: op. Private to "opt": t. Private to "opus": su.

"opt" · 3 letters · shape VCC  ·  "opus" · 4 letters · shape VCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • opusoppus · opsu · opuss · pous

Frequency comparison

opt#42,502
opus#8,746

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "opt" and "opus" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "opt" is a verb and "opus" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "opt" or "opus"?
"opus" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #8,746 in our French list, against #42,502 for "opt". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering opt vs opus

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “opt”; for a noun, it's “opus”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “opt” 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