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'Yoke' is the frame joining oxen to a plough, or a metaphorical burden; 'yolk' is the yellow centre of an egg.
Side-by-side comparison
"Yoke" is the wooden frame joining two working animals. Metaphorically, any oppressive burden or bond. Also the fitted fabric piece across the shoulders of a shirt.
The farmers yoked the two oxen together to plough the steep field.
Under the colonial yoke, the population had no freedom of movement or expression.
The blue dress featured a traditional embroidered yoke across the shoulders.
"Yolk" is the yellow, nutrient-rich centre of an egg. "Egg yolk" = the yellow part inside. The white part surrounding it is called the "egg white".
Separate the egg yolk from the white and beat each until fluffy.
The sauce gets its rich golden colour from the egg yolks.
Some bakers use only egg yolks for a richer, more velvety pastry cream.
Common mistake
- •"Beat the egg yokes" when meaning the yellow part is wrong (correct: yolks).
- •Or "The yolk of colonialism" when meaning the burden is wrong (correct: yoke).
- •The silent L in "yolk" makes writers unsure which spelling to use.
Trick to remember it
- •"Yolk" has L like "yellow", the yellow part of the egg.
- •"Yoke" has no L, simple and solid, like the wooden frame joining animals.
Quick rule
Is it the frame joining animals or the metaphorical burden? "Yoke." Is it the yellow centre of the egg? "Yolk."
Did you know?
The silent L in YOLK belongs to a very large family in English: FOLK (people), TALK (to speak), WALK (to walk), CHALK (chalk), PALM (palm), CALM (calm), PSALM (psalm), SALMON (salmon). In all these cases, the L was pronounced in Medieval and Old English, but between the 15th and 17th centuries it stopped being articulated in speech without the spelling changing. These mute L letters are genuine phonetic fossils that reveal pronunciation from 500-600 years ago.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
She prefers her eggs fried with a runny _____ . She dips her toast in it.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
In the past, oxen were connected with a _____ to pull the plough together.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
One means to receive or agree to something, the other means to exclude or not include.
'Advice' is the guidance you receive (noun); 'advise' is the act of giving that guidance (verb).
'Affect' is the verb meaning to influence something; 'effect' is the noun meaning result or consequence.
'Aisle' is the walkway between rows of seats or shelves; 'isle' is a small island.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy