cork

/kɔɹk/

//kɔɹk// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"cork" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cork” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #11,007 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#11,007
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The dead protective tissue between the bark and cambium in woody plants, with suberin deposits making it impervious to gasses and water.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

cork vs CR
0% similar
cork vs cry
50% similar
cork vs cow
50% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for cork
PropertyValue
Headwordcork
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kɔɹk/
Letters4
Frequency rank#11,007
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cork” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). cork lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for cork is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kɔɹk/. Corpus data places it at rank #11,007 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for cork, with forms such as "ccork", "cokr", and "corkk". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "CR", "cry", "cow", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English cork (“oak bark, cork”), from Middle Dutch curc (“cork (material or object)”), either from Spanish corcho (“cork (material or object)”) (also corcha or corche) or from Old Spanish alcorque (“cork sole”). Doublet of cortex. The correct English form is cork, spelled C-O-R-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    The dead protective tissue between the bark and cambium in woody plants, with suberin deposits making it impervious to gasses and water.
  2. 2
    The dead protective tissue between the bark and cambium in woody plants, with suberin deposits making it impervious to gasses and water.
  3. 3
    A bottle stopper made from this or any other material.
  4. 4
    An angling float, also traditionally made of oak cork.
  5. 5
    The cork oak, Quercus suber.

Etymology

From Middle English cork (“oak bark, cork”), from Middle Dutch curc (“cork (material or object)”), either from Spanish corcho (“cork (material or object)”) (also corcha or corche) or from Old Spanish alcorque (“cork sole”). Doublet of cortex.

This word in other languages

corcho(Español)liège(Français)Kork(Deutsch)cortiça(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccork,cokr,corkk,corrk,crok,ocrk

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of cork - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ccork1cokr2corkk1corrk1crok2ocrk2
Edit distance from "cork"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "cork"?
"cork" is spelled C-O-R-K. The IPA pronunciation is /kɔɹk/.
What does "cork" mean?
As a noun, "cork" means: The dead protective tissue between the bark and cambium in woody plants, with suberin deposits making it impervious to gasses and water.
What words are commonly confused with "cork"?
"cork" is commonly confused with "CR", "cry", "cow". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cork"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cork" is /kɔɹk/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "cork"?
From Middle English cork (“oak bark, cork”), from Middle Dutch curc (“cork (material or object)”), either from Spanish corcho (“cork (material or object)”) (also corcha or corche) or from Old Spanish alcorque (“cork sole”). Doublet of cortex. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “cork”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is C-O-R-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /kɔɹk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “CR” - see the side-by-side comparison. cork vs CR
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list