Which to use
“div” is a noun and “dob” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #17,822
- “div” frequency rank
- #44,170
- “dob” frequency rank
- 61992
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | div | dob |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A function, implemented in many programming languages, that returns the result of a division of two integers. | To report a person to someone in authority for a wrongdoing. (For transitive forms see dob in, dob on.) |
Where the eye mixes div and dob
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Look-alike desk: div vs dob
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: div is /ˈdɪv/ while dob is /dɑb/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 61992, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
div is recorded at frequency rank #17,822, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈdɪv/. dob is at rank #44,170, tagged as averb, pronounced /dɑb/.
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 61992, this pair ranks #90,994 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of div vs dob
Shared letters: d. Private to "div": iv. Private to "dob": bo.
"div" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "dob" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "div" for "dob" ever safe?
Frequency check: "div" vs "dob" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "div" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "dob" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #90,994 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "div" and "dob" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "dob vs dox". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #90,994 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.