poke

/pəʊk/

//pəʊk// verb

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

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

The verdict

“poke” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #13,037 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#13,037
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To prod or jab with an object such as a finger or a stick.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

poke vs pop
50% similar
poke vs pot
50% similar
poke vs pos
50% similar

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

Key facts for poke
PropertyValue
Headwordpoke
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/pəʊk/
Letters4
Frequency rank#13,037
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “poke” 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). poke 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 poke is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pəʊk/. Corpus data places it at rank #13,037 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for poke, with forms such as "opke", "pkoe", and "poek". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "pop", "pot", "pos", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English poken, perhaps from Middle Dutch poken or Middle Low German poken, both from Proto-West Germanic *pukōn or similar, which is itself of uncertain origin, but may be from an imitative Proto-Germanic root *puk-. Doublet of poach. The correct English form is poke, spelled P-O-K-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To prod or jab with an object such as a finger or a stick.
  2. 2
    To stir up a fire to remove ash or promote burning.
  3. 3
    To rummage; to feel or grope around.
  4. 4
    To modify the value stored in (a memory address).
  5. 5
    To put a poke (device to prevent leaping or breaking fences) on (an animal).
  6. 6
    To thrust at with the horns; to gore.
  7. 7
    To notify (another user) of activity on social media or an instant messenger.
  8. 8
    To thrust (something) in a particular direction such as the tongue.
  9. 9
    To penetrate in sexual intercourse.

Etymology

From Middle English poken, perhaps from Middle Dutch poken or Middle Low German poken, both from Proto-West Germanic *pukōn or similar, which is itself of uncertain origin, but may be from an imitative Proto-Germanic root *puk-. Doublet of poach.

This word in other languages

hurgar(Español)piquer(Français)stochern(Deutsch)cutucar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: opke,pkoe,poek,pokke,ppoke

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of poke - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

opke2pkoe2poek2pokke1ppoke1
Edit distance from "poke"

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 "poke"?
"poke" is spelled P-O-K-E. The IPA pronunciation is /pəʊk/.
What does "poke" mean?
As a verb, "poke" means: To prod or jab with an object such as a finger or a stick.
What words are commonly confused with "poke"?
"poke" is commonly confused with "pop", "pot", "pos". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "poke"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "poke" is /pəʊk/. 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 "poke"?
From Middle English poken, perhaps from Middle Dutch poken or Middle Low German poken, both from Proto-West Germanic *pukōn or similar, which is itself of uncertain origin, but may be from an imitative Proto-Germanic root *puk-. Doublet of poach. 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 “poke”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-O-K-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /pəʊk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “pop” - see the side-by-side comparison. poke vs pop
  • 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