Which to use
“vole” and “vow” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #45,158
- “vole” frequency rank
- #13,836
- “vow” frequency rank
- 58994
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | vole | vow |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Any of a large number of species of small rodents of the tribes Arvicolini, Ellobiusini, Clethrionomyini, Pliomyini, Phenacomyini and Prometheomyini. | 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 vole and vow apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. vole (/vəʊl/) and vow (/vaʊ/) 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 58994, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
vole is recorded at frequency rank #45,158, classified as anoun, pronounced /vəʊl/. 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 58994, this pair ranks #108,945 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of vole vs vow
Shared letters: ov. Private to "vole": el. Private to "vow": w.
"vole" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "vow" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- vole ← ovle · vloe · voel · volle · vvole
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "vole" and "vow" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "vole" or "vow"?
Remembering vole 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 “vole” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable