Which to use
“docker” and “docks” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #29,632
- “docker” frequency rank
- #13,704
- “docks” frequency rank
- 43336
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | docker | docks |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | One who performs docking, as of tails. | plural of dock |
Where the eye mixes docker and docks
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: docker vs docks
A purely visual mix-up. docker (/ˈdɑkɚ/) and docks (/dɒks/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 43336, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
docker is recorded at frequency rank #29,632, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈdɑkɚ/. docks is at rank #13,704, tagged as anoun, pronounced /dɒks/.
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 43336, this pair ranks #240,961 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of docker vs docks
Shared letters: cdko. Private to "docker": er. Private to "docks": s.
"docker" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "docks" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "docker" for "docks" ever safe?
Which is more common, "docker" or "docks"?
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 "docker" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "docks" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #240,961 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "docker" and "docks" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "docker vs doer". 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 #240,961 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.