Which to use
“port” and “posts” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,913
- “port” frequency rank
- #2,265
- “posts” frequency rank
- 4178
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | port | posts |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A place on the coast at which ships can shelter, or dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. | plural of post |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set port and posts apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
port and posts 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 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 4178, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
port is recorded at frequency rank #1,913, classified as anoun, pronounced /pɔːt/. posts is at rank #2,265, tagged as anoun, pronounced /pəʊsts/.
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 4178, this pair ranks #519,747 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "port" and "posts" be used interchangeably?
Remembering port vs posts
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 “port” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable