Which to use
“combs” and “cribs” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #23,210
- “combs” frequency rank
- #41,067
- “cribs” frequency rank
- 64277
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | combs | cribs |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | plural of comb | plural of crib |
Where the eye mixes combs and cribs
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between combs and cribs
A purely visual mix-up. combs (/kəʊmz/) and cribs (/kɹɪbz/) 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 64277, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
combs is recorded at frequency rank #23,210, classified as anoun, pronounced /kəʊmz/. cribs is at rank #41,067, tagged as anoun, pronounced /kɹɪbz/.
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 64277, this pair ranks #78,575 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of combs vs cribs
Shared letters: bcs. Private to "combs": mo. Private to "cribs": ir.
"combs" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC · "cribs" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "combs" and "cribs" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "combs" vs "cribs" - which ranks higher?
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 "combs" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "cribs" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #78,575 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "combs" and "cribs" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "cribs vs Crist". 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 #78,575 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.