'Cord' and 'chord' are commonly confused, and it turns out their etymologies don't help at all. The shorter word is for the single piece of rope, while the longer word is the group of notes. A cord is a long flexible string or rope, often made of thinner pieces woven together. Chord ( the one with the letter "h") is primarily a noun referring to "three or more musical tones played together," while cord can be used as a noun and an adjective. Cord is used mainly as a noun to refer to "a long flexible string or rope, often made of thinner pieces woven together." As an adjective, cord clothes are made from corduroy. Definition: chord In music, a chord is three or more notes that combine harmoniously. You can play chords on a piano or guitar, but not on an instrument that plays one note at a time, like a trumpet. Continue reading Definition: cord A cord is a thin rope made of strands of twisted material. What is the difference between cord and chord? The confusion between cord and chord is another classic example of homophones: words that share an identical pronunciation or spelling but have very different meanings: The word chord references musicians, singing, or musical notes in any capacity. n1XV.