Which to use
“locks” and “locus” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #7,810
- “locks” frequency rank
- #23,026
- “locus” frequency rank
- 30836
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | locks | locus |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | plural of lock | A place or locality, especially a centre of activity or the scene of a crime. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set locks and locus apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
locks and locus form a confusable pair in the English index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by a single letter - k in “locks” becomes u in “locus” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 30836, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
locks is recorded at frequency rank #7,810, classified as anoun, pronounced /lɒks/. locus is at rank #23,026, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈləʊkəs/.
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 30836, this pair ranks #351,204 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "locks" and "locus" be used interchangeably?
Remembering locks vs locus
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 “locks” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable