FockvsFoulWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#48,895
“Fock” frequency rank
#16,991
“Foul” frequency rank
65886
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Fock Foul
Definition ein kleineres Vorsegel, welches am Mast nicht überlappt; auf Yachten wird es bei Starkwind statt einer Genua angeschlagen Regelverstoß, bei dem der Gegenspieler mit unfairen und unsportlichen Mitteln benachteiligt wird

Where the spellings diverge

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

4 ch
Fock
4 ch
Foul

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Fock ([fɔk]) and Foul ([faʊ̯l]) 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 65886, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Fock is recorded at frequency rank #48,895, classified as anoun, pronounced [fɔk]. Foul is at rank #16,991, tagged as anoun, pronounced [faʊ̯l].

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 65886, this pair ranks #591,693 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Fock vs Foul

Shared letters: fo. Private to "Fock": ck. Private to "Foul": lu.

"Fock" · 4 letters · shape CVCC  ·  "Foul" · 4 letters · shape CVVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Fockfcok · ffock · focck · fockk · fokc · ofck
  • Foulffoul · folu · foull · fuol · oful

Frequency comparison

Fock#48,895
Foul#16,991

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Fock" and "Foul" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([fɔk] versus [faʊ̯l]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Fock" or "Foul"?
"Foul" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #16,991 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 Fock vs Foul

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 “Fock” 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