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 eye mixes Fock and Foul
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. Fock (CVCC) and Foul (CVVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between Fock and Foul
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
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Fock" for "Foul" ever safe?
Frequency check: "Fock" vs "Foul" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "Fock" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Foul" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #591,693 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Fock" and "Foul" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Fack vs Fock". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #591,693 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.