lockvslockerWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: lock is a verb, locker is an adjective, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“lock” is a verb and “locker” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#21,345
“lock” frequency rank
#2,909
“locker” frequency rank
24254
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature lock locker
Definition 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs locken durchlässig, nicht dicht

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set lock and locker apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
lock
6 ch
locker

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

lock and locker form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “lock” sits inside “locker” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 24254, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

lock is recorded at frequency rank #21,345, classified as averb, pronounced [lɔk]. locker is at rank #2,909, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈlɔkɐ].

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 24254, this pair ranks #1,850,253 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

lock#21,345
locker#2,909

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "lock" and "locker" be used interchangeably?
No, "lock" and "locker" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering lock vs locker

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “lock”; for an adjective, it's “locker”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “lock” 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