Which to use
“kerb” and “keys” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #46,571
- “kerb” frequency rank
- #3,699
- “keys” frequency rank
- 50270
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | kerb | keys |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Alternative spelling of curb. | plural of key |
Where the eye mixes kerb and keys
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between kerb and keys
A purely visual mix-up. kerb (/kɝb/) and keys (/kiːz/) 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 50270, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
kerb is recorded at frequency rank #46,571, classified as anoun, pronounced /kɝb/. keys is at rank #3,699, tagged as anoun, pronounced /kiːz/.
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 50270, this pair ranks #175,810 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of kerb vs keys
Shared letters: ek. Private to "kerb": br. Private to "keys": sy.
"kerb" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "keys" · 4 letters · shape CVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "kerb" for "keys" ever safe?
Which is more common, "kerb" or "keys"?
What to do next
Eye-level mix-up between "kerb" and "keys" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "kerb" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "keys" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #175,810 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "kerb" and "keys" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "keir vs kerb". 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 #175,810 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.