convexvscoveyWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: convex is a adjective, covey is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“convex” is an adjective and “covey” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#20,597
“convex” frequency rank
#46,402
“covey” frequency rank
66999
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature convex covey
Definition Curved or bowed outward like the outside of a bowl, circle, or sphere. A brood or family of partridges (family Phasianidae), which includes game birds such as grouse (tribe Tetraonini) and ptarmigans (tribe Tetraonini, genus Lagopus).

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set convex and covey apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
convex
5 ch
covey

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: convex is /ˈkɒn.vɛks/ while covey is /ˈkʌvi/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 66999, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

convex is recorded at frequency rank #20,597, classified as anadj, pronounced /ˈkɒn.vɛks/. covey is at rank #46,402, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈkʌvi/.

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 66999, this pair ranks #65,388 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of convex vs covey

Shared letters: ceov. Private to "convex": nx. Private to "covey": y.

"convex" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "covey" · 5 letters · shape CVCVV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • convexcconvex · cnovex · conevx · connvex · convexx · convvex · convxe · covnex
  • coveyccovey · coevy · coveyy · covvey · covye · cvoey · ocvey

Frequency comparison

convex#20,597
covey#46,402

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "convex" and "covey" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "convex" is an adjective and "covey" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "convex" or "covey"?
"convex" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #20,597 in our English list, against #46,402 for "covey". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering convex vs covey

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “convex”; for a noun, it's “covey”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “convex” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list