Which to use
“wok” and “wood” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #37,773
- “wok” frequency rank
- #1,743
- “wood” frequency rank
- 39516
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | wok | wood |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A large, round-bottomed cooking pan used in East Asian cooking. | The substance making up the central part of the trunk and branches of a tree. Used as a material for construction, to manufacture various items, etc. or as fuel. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set wok and wood 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. wok (/wɒk/) and wood (/wʊd/) 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 39516, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
wok is recorded at frequency rank #37,773, classified as anoun, pronounced /wɒk/. wood is at rank #1,743, tagged as anoun, pronounced /wʊd/.
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 39516, this pair ranks #275,953 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of wok vs wood
Shared letters: ow. Private to "wok": k. Private to "wood": d.
"wok" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "wood" · 4 letters · shape CVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- wood ← owod · wod · wodo · woodd · wwood
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "wok" and "wood" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "wok" or "wood"?
Remembering wok vs wood
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 “wok” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable