Which to use
“alb” and “ark” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #45,776
- “alb” frequency rank
- #10,324
- “ark” frequency rank
- 56100
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | alb | ark |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A long, white robe worn by priests and other ministers, underneath most of the other vestments. | A large box with a flat lid. |
Where the eye mixes alb and ark
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between alb and ark
A purely visual mix-up. alb (/ˈælb/) and ark (/ɑːk/) 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 56100, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
alb is recorded at frequency rank #45,776, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈælb/. ark is at rank #10,324, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ɑːk/.
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 56100, this pair ranks #128,731 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of alb vs ark
Shared letters: a. Private to "alb": bl. Private to "ark": kr.
"alb" · 3 letters · shape VCC · "ark" · 3 letters · shape VCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "alb" for "ark" ever safe?
In ordinary English text, does "alb" or "ark" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "alb" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ark" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #128,731 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "alb" and "ark" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "alb vs amb". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #128,731 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.