dodgevsdongleWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: dodge is a verb, dongle is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“dodge” is a verb and “dongle” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#7,913
“dodge” frequency rank
#45,892
“dongle” frequency rank
53805
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature dodge dongle
Definition To avoid (something) by moving suddenly out of the way. Any small device that plugs into an electronic device, typically a computer, and alters its functionality. Common examples include wireless modems, digital media players, software copy protect devices, and adapters.

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
dodge
6 ch
dongle

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: dodge is /dɒd͡ʒ/ while dongle is /ˈdɒŋɡl̩/. 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 (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 53805, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

dodge is recorded at frequency rank #7,913, classified as averb, pronounced /dɒd͡ʒ/. dongle is at rank #45,892, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈdɒŋɡl̩/.

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 53805, this pair ranks #146,075 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of dodge vs dongle

Shared letters: dego. Private to "dodge": -. Private to "dongle": ln.

"dodge" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV  ·  "dongle" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • dodgeddodge · ddoge · doddge · dodeg · dodgge · dogde · oddge
  • dongleddongle · dnogle · dognle · dongel · donggle · donglle · donlge · donngle

Frequency comparison

dodge#7,913
dongle#45,892

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "dodge" and "dongle" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "dodge" is a verb and "dongle" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "dodge" or "dongle"?
"dodge" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #7,913 in our English list, against #45,892 for "dongle". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering dodge vs dongle

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “dodge”; for a noun, it's “dongle”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “dodge” 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