Which to use
“dong” and “dongle” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #9,737
- “dong” frequency rank
- #45,892
- “dongle” frequency rank
- 55629
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | dong | dongle |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | The currency of Vietnam, 100 xus. Symbol: ₫ | 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 dong and dongle apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. dong (/dɒŋ/) and dongle (/ˈdɒŋɡl̩/) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “dong” sits inside “dongle”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 55629, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
dong is recorded at frequency rank #9,737, classified as anoun, pronounced /dɒŋ/. 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 55629, this pair ranks #132,179 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of dong vs dongle
Shared letters: dgno. Private to "dong": -. Private to "dongle": el.
"dong" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "dongle" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "dong" and "dongle" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "dong" or "dongle"?
Remembering dong vs dongle
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “dong” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable