Yolk and yoke sound alike, but they mean very different things.
Yolk is the yellow inner part of an egg. It is a food word, so if you are talking about cooking, baking, or breakfast, this is probably the one you want. For example, She broke the yolk while making an omelet.
Yoke usually means a wooden bar placed across the shoulders of animals so they can pull something together. It can also mean anything that joins, binds, or connects. For example, The farmers placed a yoke on the oxen. You might also see it used more abstractly, as in a heavy burden or a close bond.
- Use yolk for eggs and cooking.
- Use yoke for joining, binding, or harnessing.
A quick memory trick helps: yolk has an l, like liquid egg center. yoke has an e, and you can think of it as something that engages two things together.