Which to use
“like” is a verb and “linker” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #42
- “like” frequency rank
- #48,865
- “linker” frequency rank
- 48907
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | like | linker |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To enjoy, be pleased by; favor; be in favor of. | That which links. |
Where the eye mixes like and linker
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses like with linker
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: like is /laɪ̯k/ while linker is /ˈlɪŋkɚ/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 48907, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
like is recorded at frequency rank #42, classified as averb, pronounced /laɪ̯k/. linker is at rank #48,865, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈlɪŋkɚ/.
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 48907, this pair ranks #188,631 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of like vs linker
Shared letters: eikl. Private to "like": -. Private to "linker": nr.
"like" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "linker" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "like" for "linker" ever safe?
In ordinary English text, does "like" or "linker" show up more?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "like" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "linker" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #188,631 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "like" and "linker" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "liken vs linker". 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 #188,631 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.