diff --git a/strix/report/coverage.py b/strix/report/coverage.py
index d3e70e04..bcca1c33 100644
--- a/strix/report/coverage.py
+++ b/strix/report/coverage.py
@@ -309,10 +309,34 @@ def cwe_for_skill(skill: str) -> tuple[str, ...]:
     return vclass.cwe if vclass else ()
 
 
+def _term_in_words(term: str, words: set[str]) -> bool:
+    """A phrasing word matches a row word exactly, or as its simple plural.
+
+    Matching whole words, not substrings, is what stops a short class token
+    like ``rce`` matching inside ``brute force`` / ``enforcement`` or ``idor``
+    inside ``corridor``. The plural allowance (``worker`` matches a ``workers``
+    row, ``password`` a ``passwords`` row) keeps a trivial inflection from
+    opening a false gap.
+
+    Only the forward direction (phrasing term + ``s``) is allowed, never the
+    reverse (row word + ``s`` == term): the reverse would let the row word
+    ``xs`` satisfy the ``xss`` class alias (``"xs" + "s" == "xss"``), so an
+    unrelated XS-Leaks row would falsely mark XSS covered. A phrasing that
+    needs to match a singular row carries the singular spelling as its own
+    alias instead.
+    """
+    return term in words or f"{term}s" in words
+
+
 def _entry_is_about(entry: dict[str, Any], phrasings: list[list[str]]) -> bool:
-    """True when a ledger row plausibly concerns any phrasing of a risk class."""
-    haystack = _normalized(f"{entry.get('risk_area', '')} {entry.get('surface', '')}")
-    return any(all(term in haystack for term in terms) for terms in phrasings)
+    """True when a ledger row names any phrasing of a risk class.
+
+    A phrasing matches when every one of its words appears as a **word** in the
+    row (``risk_area`` + ``surface``) — not as a substring, so "brute force"
+    never counts as ``rce`` coverage and "corridor" never as ``idor``.
+    """
+    words = set(_normalized(f"{entry.get('risk_area', '')} {entry.get('surface', '')}").split())
+    return any(all(_term_in_words(term, words) for term in terms) for terms in phrasings)
 
 
 def _entry_authored_by(entry: dict[str, Any], owner_ids: set[str]) -> bool:
diff --git a/tests/test_report_coverage.py b/tests/test_report_coverage.py
index d53d298d..c0ede09d 100644
--- a/tests/test_report_coverage.py
+++ b/tests/test_report_coverage.py
@@ -86,6 +86,35 @@ def test_assigned_risk_skill_without_coverage_becomes_a_gap() -> None:
     assert [gap["risk_area"] for gap in gaps] == ["sql injection"]
 
 
+def test_substring_match_does_not_hide_a_gap() -> None:
+    """A short class token matches whole words, not substrings: 'brute force' is
+    not RCE coverage, 'enforcement' is not 'rce', 'corridor' is not 'idor'."""
+    cases = [
+        ("rce", "POST /login", "brute force protection"),
+        ("rce", "GET /api/resources/{id}", "object-level authorization"),
+        ("rce", "Access control enforcement", "authorization"),
+        ("idor", "GET /building/corridor/{id}", "information disclosure"),
+    ]
+    for skill, surface, risk in cases:
+        doc = _document(
+            entries=[_entry(surface=surface, risk_area=risk)],
+            agent_graph=_graph(metadata={"agent-1": {"skills": [skill]}}),
+        )
+        classes = [g["risk_area"] for g in doc["gaps"] if g["kind"] == "unrecorded_risk_class"]
+        assert skill.replace("_", " ") in classes, (skill, surface, risk, classes)
+
+
+def test_simple_plural_still_counts_as_coverage() -> None:
+    """Whole-word matching tolerates a trivial plural, so 'passwords' /
+    'credentials' still cover weak_password_detection."""
+    doc = _document(
+        entries=[_entry(risk_area="weak passwords and credentials reviewed", surface="/login")],
+        agent_graph=_graph(metadata={"agent-1": {"skills": ["weak_password_detection"]}}),
+    )
+
+    assert not [g for g in doc["gaps"] if g["kind"] == "unrecorded_risk_class"]
+
+
 def test_recorded_risk_class_is_not_reported_as_a_gap() -> None:
     doc = _document(
         entries=[_entry(risk_area="SQL injection", surface="GET /search?q=")],