donut vs doughnut

Side by side

donut or doughnut?

What is the difference between donut and doughnut?

donut means "a small ring-shaped friedcake". doughnut means "a toroidal shape". They are pronounced identically — /ˈdoʊˌnʌt/ — so only the spelling and the meaning separate them.

Which is more common, donut or doughnut?

Neither is markedly more common — both sit in the "Familiar" band.

Are donut and doughnut pronounced the same?

Yes. Both are /ˈdoʊˌnʌt/, said DOH-nuht. Words that sound alike and are spelled differently are homophones, and they are the commonest source of written mix-ups in English.

Can donut and doughnut be used in the same place in a sentence?

Both work as nouns, so they are grammatically interchangeable. That is exactly what makes the meaning difference worth checking.

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