VIXvsvowWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“VIX” and “vow” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#47,410
“VIX” frequency rank
#13,836
“vow” frequency rank
61246
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature VIX vow
Definition Acronym of Cboe volatility index. A solemn promise to perform some act, or behave in a specified manner, especially a promise to live and act in accordance with the rules of a religious order.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set VIX and vow apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

3 ch
VIX
3 ch
vow

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

VIX and vow 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 61246, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

VIX is recorded at frequency rank #47,410, classified as anoun. vow is at rank #13,836, tagged as anoun, pronounced /vaʊ/.

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 61246, this pair ranks #95,341 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of VIX vs vow

Shared letters: v. Private to "VIX": ix. Private to "vow": ow.

"VIX" · 3 letters · shape CVC  ·  "vow" · 3 letters · shape CVC

Frequency comparison

VIX#47,410
vow#13,836

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "VIX" and "vow" be used interchangeably?
No. They share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, but the dictionary glosses above give them different meanings, so swapping one for the other changes what the sentence says.
Which is more common, "VIX" or "vow"?
"vow" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #13,836 in our English list, against #47,410 for "VIX". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering VIX vs vow

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 “VIX” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list