FinkvsFockWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“Fink” and “Fock” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#12,491
“Fink” frequency rank
#48,895
“Fock” frequency rank
61386
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Fink Fock
Definition Vertreter der artenreichen Familie Fringillidae aus der Ordnung der Sperlingsvögel (Passeriformes) ein kleineres Vorsegel, welches am Mast nicht überlappt; auf Yachten wird es bei Starkwind statt einer Genua angeschlagen

Where the spellings diverge

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

4 ch
Fink
4 ch
Fock

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Fink ([fɪŋk]) and Fock ([fɔk]) 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 61386, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Fink is recorded at frequency rank #12,491, classified as anoun, pronounced [fɪŋk]. Fock is at rank #48,895, tagged as anoun, pronounced [fɔk].

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 61386, this pair ranks #751,788 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Fink vs Fock

Shared letters: fk. Private to "Fink": in. Private to "Fock": co.

"Fink" · 4 letters · shape CVCC  ·  "Fock" · 4 letters · shape CVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Finkffink · fikn · finkk · finnk · fnik · ifnk
  • Fockfcok · ffock · focck · fockk · fokc · ofck

Frequency comparison

Fink#12,491
Fock#48,895

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Fink" and "Fock" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([fɪŋk] versus [fɔk]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Fink" or "Fock"?
"Fink" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #12,491 in our German list, against #48,895 for "Fock". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Fink vs Fock

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 “Fink” 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