Catch or ketch?
catch is a noun meaning “The act of seizing or capturing”; ketch is a noun meaning “A fore-and-aft rigged sailing vessel with two masts, main and mizzen, the…”. In written English (wordfreq, 2021 data) catch is about 331 times as common as ketch.
What is the difference between catch and ketch?
| catch | ketch | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | noun, verb | noun, verb |
| Meaning | The act of seizing or capturing The act of catching an object in motion, especially a ball To capture or snare (someone or something which would rather escape) | A fore-and-aft rigged sailing vessel with two masts, main and mizzen, the mizzen being stepped forward of the rudder post A hangman UKA pie or turnover |
| Example | The catch of the perpetrator was the product of a year of police work | If so you gonna ketch hell |
| Forms | catches | ketches |
| Pronunciation | /kæt͡ʃ/ /kɛt͡ʃ/ | /kɛt͡ʃ/ |
| In writing | 74 times per million words | about once in every 4 million words |
Sources: catch and ketch in the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
Every current meaning of catch and ketch
catch
- 1
The act of seizing or capturing
The catch of the perpetrator was the product of a year of police work
- 2
To capture or snare (someone or something which would rather escape)
I hope I catch a fish
- 3
The act of catching an object in motion, especially a ball
The player made an impressive catch
- 4
To entrap or trip up a person; to deceive
- 5
The act of noticing, understanding or hearing
Good catch. I never would have remembered that
- 6
datedTo marry or enter into a similar relationship with
- 7
The game of catching a ball
The kids love to play catch
- 8
To reach (someone) with a strike, blow, weapon etc
If he catches you on the chin, you'll be on the mat
ketch
- 1
A fore-and-aft rigged sailing vessel with two masts, main and mizzen, the mizzen being stepped forward of the rudder post
- 2
Pronunciation spelling of catch
If so you gonna ketch hell
- 3
A hangman
'Squire Ketch rejoices as much to hear of a new Vox, as an old Sexton does to hear of a new Delight
- 4
UKA pie or turnover
- 5
Synonym of Jack Ketch (“a public executioner”)
Source: the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); obsolete, archaic, dialect and rare senses left out.
Which is more common, catch or ketch?
catch appears 74 times per million words; ketch about once in every 4 million words.
catch 74 times per million wordsketch about once in every 4 million words
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).