Which to use
“knit” and “know” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #11,907
- “knit” frequency rank
- #84
- “know” frequency rank
- 11991
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | knit | know |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To turn thread or yarn into a piece of fabric by forming loops that are pulled through each other. This can be done by hand with needles or by machine. | To perceive the truth or factuality of; to be certain of; to be certain that. |
Where the eye mixes knit and know
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between knit and know
A purely visual mix-up. knit (/nɪt/) and know (/nəʊ/) 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 11991, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
knit is recorded at frequency rank #11,907, classified as averb, pronounced /nɪt/. know is at rank #84, tagged as averb, pronounced /nəʊ/.
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 11991, this pair ranks #484,020 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of knit vs know
Shared letters: kn. Private to "knit": it. Private to "know": ow.
"knit" · 4 letters · shape CCVC · "know" · 4 letters · shape CCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "knit" for "know" ever safe?
Which is more common, "knit" or "know"?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "knit" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "know" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #484,020 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "knit" and "know" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "knit vs kno". 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 #484,020 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.