Which to use
“bolt” is a noun and “bore” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #6,659
- “bolt” frequency rank
- #7,889
- “bore” frequency rank
- 14548
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | bolt | bore |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A (usually) metal fastener consisting of a cylindrical body that is threaded, with a larger head on one end. It can be inserted into an unthreaded hole up to the head, with a nut then threaded on the other end; a heavy machine screw. | To inspire boredom in somebody. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set bolt and bore apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
bolt and bore form a confusable pair in the English index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 14548, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
bolt is recorded at frequency rank #6,659, classified as anoun, pronounced /bɒlt/. bore is at rank #7,889, tagged as averb, pronounced /bɔː(ɹ)/.
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 14548, this pair ranks #469,363 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "bolt" and "bore" be used interchangeably?
Remembering bolt vs bore
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “bolt”; for a verb, it's “bore”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “bolt” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable