Which to use
“copy” and “cost” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #32,148
- “copy” frequency rank
- #21,956
- “cost” frequency rank
- 54104
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | copy | cost |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Copia. | Costo. |
Where the eye mixes copy and cost
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses copy with cost
A purely visual mix-up. copy (/ˈkɒp.i/) and cost ([ˈkɔst]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 54104, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
copy is recorded at frequency rank #32,148, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈkɒp.i/. cost is at rank #21,956, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈkɔst].
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 54104, this pair ranks #84,780 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of copy vs cost
Shared letters: co. Private to "copy": py. Private to "cost": st.
"copy" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "cost" · 4 letters · shape CVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "copy" and "cost" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "copy" or "cost"?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "copy" and "cost" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "copy" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "cost" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #84,780 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "copy" and "cost" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "coin vs copy". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #84,780 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.