Which to use
“poi” and “poix” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #40,426
- “poi” frequency rank
- #38,482
- “poix” frequency rank
- 78908
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | poi | poix |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Plat polynésien de consistance pâteuse à semi-fluide, mélange de plusieurs fruits ou légumes. | Matière résineuse gluante et noire qui s’obtient par la distillation des bois résineux de pins ou de sapins. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set poi and poix apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. poi (\pɔj\) and poix (\pwa\) 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 extra letter(s) - “poi” sits inside “poix”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 78908, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
poi is recorded at frequency rank #40,426, classified as anoun, pronounced \pɔj\. poix is at rank #38,482, tagged as anoun, pronounced \pwa\.
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 78908, this pair ranks #24,560 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of poi vs poix
Shared letters: iop. Private to "poi": -. Private to "poix": x.
"poi" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "poix" · 4 letters · shape CVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- poix ← opix · piox · poixx · poxi · ppoix
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "poi" and "poix" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "poi" or "poix"?
Remembering poi vs poix
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 “poi” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable