Which to use
“ivory” and “ivy” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #8,949
- “ivory” frequency rank
- #9,199
- “ivy” frequency rank
- 18148
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ivory | ivy |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | The hard white form of dentin which forms the tusks of elephants, walruses and other animals. | Any of several woody, climbing, or trailing evergreen plants of the genus Hedera. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ivory and ivy apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. ivory (/ˈaɪv(ə)ɹi/) and ivy (/ˈaɪvi/) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 18148, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ivory is recorded at frequency rank #8,949, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈaɪv(ə)ɹi/. ivy is at rank #9,199, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈaɪvi/.
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 18148, this pair ranks #446,823 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of ivory vs ivy
Shared letters: ivy. Private to "ivory": or. Private to "ivy": -.
"ivory" · 5 letters · shape VCVCV · "ivy" · 3 letters · shape VCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- ivory ← iovry · ivorry · ivoryy · ivoyr · ivroy · ivvory · viory
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ivory" and "ivy" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "ivory" or "ivy"?
Remembering ivory vs ivy
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 “ivory” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable