KoivsKorkWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#46,782
“Koi” frequency rank
#43,297
“Kork” frequency rank
90079
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Koi Kork
Definition japanische Zuchtform des Karpfens 2,5 bis 20 cm dicke Rinde der Korkeiche (quercus suber), aus lückenlos aneinander schließenden Zellen, die für Flüssigkeiten und Gase schwer durchlässig sind

Where the spellings diverge

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

3 ch
Koi
4 ch
Kork

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Koi ([kɔɪ̯]) and Kork ([kɔʁk]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 90079, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Koi is recorded at frequency rank #46,782, classified as anoun, pronounced [kɔɪ̯]. Kork is at rank #43,297, tagged as anoun, pronounced [kɔʁk].

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 90079, this pair ranks #50,631 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of Koi vs Kork

Shared letters: ko. Private to "Koi": i. Private to "Kork": r.

"Koi" · 3 letters · shape CVV  ·  "Kork" · 4 letters · shape CVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Korkkkork · kokr · korkk · korrk · krok · okrk

Frequency comparison

Koi#46,782
Kork#43,297

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Koi" and "Kork" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([kɔɪ̯] versus [kɔʁk]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Koi" or "Kork"?
"Kork" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #43,297 in our German list, against #46,782 for "Koi". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Koi vs Kork

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 “Koi” 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