Which to use
“bode” is a verb and “bodice” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #27,746
- “bode” frequency rank
- #45,817
- “bodice” frequency rank
- 73563
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | bode | bodice |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To indicate by signs, as future events; to be an omen of; to portend or foretell. | A corset-like sleeveless overgarment for women, sometimes provided with detachable sleeves. |
Where the eye mixes bode and bodice
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses bode with bodice
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: bode is /bəʊd/ while bodice is /ˈbɒdɪs/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 73563, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
bode is recorded at frequency rank #27,746, classified as averb, pronounced /bəʊd/. bodice is at rank #45,817, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈbɒdɪs/.
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 73563, this pair ranks #39,212 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of bode vs bodice
Shared letters: bdeo. Private to "bode": -. Private to "bodice": ci.
"bode" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "bodice" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "bode" and "bodice" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "bode" vs "bodice" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "bode" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "bodice" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #39,212 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "bode" and "bodice" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "bodice vs Bodie". 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 #39,212 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.