Which to use
“loci” and “loy” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #37,545
- “loci” frequency rank
- #45,491
- “loy” frequency rank
- 83036
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | loci | loy |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | plural of locus | A type of one-eared spade used in Ireland. |
Where the eye mixes loci and loy
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. loci runs 4 letters (CVCV) against loy's 3 (CVV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: loci vs loy
A purely visual mix-up. loci (/ˈləʊsaɪ/) and loy (/lɔɪ/) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 83036, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
loci is recorded at frequency rank #37,545, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈləʊsaɪ/. loy is at rank #45,491, tagged as anoun, pronounced /lɔɪ/.
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 83036, this pair ranks #14,575 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of loci vs loy
Shared letters: lo. Private to "loci": ci. Private to "loy": y.
"loci" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "loy" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Known mistypes of this pair
- loci ← lcoi · lloci · locci · loic · olci
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "loci" and "loy" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "loci" vs "loy" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "loci" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "loy" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #14,575 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "loci" and "loy" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "loy vs LSC". 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 #14,575 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.