Which to use
“shut” is a verb and “spot” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #41,005
- “shut” frequency rank
- #10,587
- “spot” frequency rank
- 51592
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | shut | spot |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Refermer, fermer ce qui était ouvert, fermer. | Site particulièrement favorable, par exemple pour exercer un sport de plein air, plus particulièrement un sport de glisse, ou dans le cadre d’une discipline scientifique, etc. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set shut and spot apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: shut is averb and spotanoun. On the page they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 51592, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
shut is recorded at frequency rank #41,005, classified as averb. spot is at rank #10,587, tagged as anoun, pronounced \spɔt\.
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 51592, this pair ranks #153,873 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of shut vs spot
Shared letters: st. Private to "shut": hu. Private to "spot": op.
"shut" · 4 letters · shape CCVC · "spot" · 4 letters · shape CCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "shut" and "spot" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "shut" or "spot"?
Remembering shut vs spot
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “shut”; for a noun, it's “spot”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “shut” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable