Which to use
“jockey” and “jockeys” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #13,548
- “jockey” frequency rank
- #30,467
- “jockeys” frequency rank
- 44015
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | jockey | jockeys |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | One who rides racehorses competitively. | Synonym of jockey shorts. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set jockey and jockeys apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. jockey (/ˈd͡ʒɒki/) and jockeys (/ˈd͡ʒɒkiz/) 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 extra letter(s) - “jockey” sits inside “jockeys”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 44015, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
jockey is recorded at frequency rank #13,548, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈd͡ʒɒki/. jockeys is at rank #30,467, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈd͡ʒɒkiz/.
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 44015, this pair ranks #234,498 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of jockey vs jockeys
Shared letters: cejkoy. Private to "jockey": -. Private to "jockeys": s.
"jockey" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVV · "jockeys" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "jockey" and "jockeys" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "jockey" or "jockeys"?
Remembering jockey vs jockeys
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 “jockey” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable