Which to use
“covert” is an adjective and “covet” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #14,096
- “covert” frequency rank
- #36,095
- “covet” frequency rank
- 50191
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | covert | covet |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Secret, surreptitious, concealed. | To wish for with eagerness; to desire possession of, often enviously. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set covert and covet apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: covert is /ˈkəʊvɜːt/ while covet is /ˈkʌvɪt/. 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 verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 50191, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
covert is recorded at frequency rank #14,096, classified as anadj, pronounced /ˈkəʊvɜːt/. covet is at rank #36,095, tagged as averb, pronounced /ˈkʌvɪt/.
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 50191, this pair ranks #176,523 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of covert vs covet
Shared letters: ceotv. Private to "covert": r. Private to "covet": -.
"covert" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC · "covet" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "covert" and "covet" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "covert" or "covet"?
Remembering covert vs covet
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “covert”; for a verb, it's “covet”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “covert” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable