Since they sound identical when spoken, it’s easy to confuse the words ‘chord’ and ‘cord’. But avoiding mistakes like this is vital in academic writing, so we’ve prepared this quick guide to help out.
Chord (Musical Harmony)
‘Chord’ is mainly a noun denoting three or more musical notes played in harmony. It would therefore be used in a sentence like this:
The opening chord from ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ makes the song instantly recognisable.
(Image: Mjchael/wikimedia)
This sense of musical harmony is why we sometimes say that something has ‘struck a chord’ with us when we find it pleasing or familiar:
From the applause, it was clear that his speech had struck a chord with the audience.
The term ‘chord’ also has a few technical meanings in fields like mathematics and engineering, but these are rare in day-to-day use.
Cord (Ropes and Cables)
The word ‘cord’ has several definitions, but its primary meaning is ‘a string or rope made out of several twisted strands’. We’d use this sense of ‘cord’ as follows:
His hands and feet bound with cord, things looked bad for MacGyver…
Other uses you may see include referring to an electrical cable:
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Just in time, MacGyver spotted a cord hanging from an overhead lighting fixture…
Or referring to a cord-like anatomical structure, such as a ‘vocal cord’ or ‘spinal cord’:
Gripping it in his teeth, MacGyver swung to safety. But he landed heavily and damaged his spinal cord. Several weeks of recovery in hospital followed.
In addition to these common uses, ‘cord’ can also be a shortened version of ‘corduroy’ (e.g. ‘he wore a cord suit’) or a measure of firewood.
Chord or Cord?
Knowing which word to use is easy as long as you keep in mind that ‘chord’ is primarily a musical term. The figurative ‘strike a chord’ is an extension of this musical use.
For non-musical situations, however, the term ‘cord’ will usually be correct, especially if referring to a rope, a wire or something anatomical. Remember:
Chord = Three or more musical notes played harmoniously
Cord = A rope, string or wire