Which to use
“koi” and “ky” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #29,838
- “koi” frequency rank
- #49,758
- “ky” frequency rank
- 79596
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | koi | ky |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Autre orthographe de koï (race de carpe du Japon, aussi appelée carpe japonaise). | Ce, ce ... -ci. |
Where the eye mixes koi and ky
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence. koi runs 3 letters (CVV) against ky's 2 (CV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: koi vs ky
A purely visual mix-up. koi (\kɔj\) and ky (\ky\) 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 79596, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
koi is recorded at frequency rank #29,838, classified as anadj, pronounced \kɔj\. ky is at rank #49,758, tagged as anadj, pronounced \ky\.
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 79596, this pair ranks #22,903 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of koi vs ky
Shared letters: k. Private to "koi": io. Private to "ky": y.
"koi" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "ky" · 2 letters · shape CV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "koi" for "ky" ever safe?
Which is more common, "koi" or "ky"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "koi" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ky" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #22,903 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "koi" and "ky" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "kgs vs ky". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #22,903 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.