Which to use
“code” and “copy” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #863
- “code” frequency rank
- #1,752
- “copy” frequency rank
- 2615
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | code | copy |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A short textual designation, often with little relation to the item it represents. | The result of copying; an identical or nearly identical duplicate of an original. |
Where the eye mixes code and copy
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. code (/kəʊd/) and copy (/ˈkɒpi/) 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 2615, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
code is recorded at frequency rank #863, classified as anoun, pronounced /kəʊd/. copy is at rank #1,752, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈkɒpi/.
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 2615, this pair ranks #524,515 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of code vs copy
Shared letters: co. Private to "code": de. Private to "copy": py.
"code" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "copy" · 4 letters · shape CVCV