Which to use
“pox” and “pye” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #28,674
- “pox” frequency rank
- #46,714
- “pye” frequency rank
- 75388
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | pox | pye |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A disease characterized by purulent skin eruptions that may leave pockmarks. | Archaic spelling of pie (pastry food). |
Letter map: pox vs pye
Shared letters muted; letters that set pox and pye apart highlighted. Shared run: 1.
Spelling & dictionary notes on pox vs pye
pox and pye are indexed as a confusable English pair. We have no recorded pronunciation or part of speech for both members, so the spelling overlap is what we can show you: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 75388, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
pox is recorded at frequency rank #28,674, classified as anoun, pronounced /pɑks/. pye is at rank #46,714, tagged as anoun.
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 75388, this pair ranks #33,289 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of pox vs pye
Shared letters: p. Private to "pox": ox. Private to "pye": ey.
"pox" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "pye" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "pox" for "pye" ever safe?
Frequency check: "pox" vs "pye" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Done with this confusable. These links stay specific to "pox" and "pye".
- Full dictionary entry for "pox" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "pye" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #33,289 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "pox" and "pye" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "PPA vs pye". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #33,289 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.