Which to use
“docks” and “dunks” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #13,704
- “docks” frequency rank
- #36,968
- “dunks” frequency rank
- 50672
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | docks | dunks |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | plural of dock | plural of dunk |
Where the eye mixes docks and dunks
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between docks and dunks
A purely visual mix-up. docks (/dɒks/) and dunks (/dʌŋks/) 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 50672, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
docks is recorded at frequency rank #13,704, classified as anoun, pronounced /dɒks/. dunks is at rank #36,968, tagged as anoun, pronounced /dʌŋks/.
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 50672, this pair ranks #172,173 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of docks vs dunks
Shared letters: dks. Private to "docks": co. Private to "dunks": nu.
"docks" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC · "dunks" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "docks" and "dunks" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "docks" vs "dunks" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "docks" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "dunks" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #172,173 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "docks" and "dunks" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "dinky vs dunks". 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 #172,173 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.