English homophones

ache/ake

"ache" (#16,397 written frequency) beats "ake" (#46,292) in this 2-word /ˈeɪk/ cluster. Size rank #133 of 1,007 English groups.

Data vintage 2026-09-03

Frequency splits the cluster

These 2 spellings keep the same /ˈeɪk/ reading, but written frequency splits them hard: "ache" leads at #16,397, with "ake" trailing at #46,292.

No shared spelling stem: "ache" is 4 letters, "ake" is 3; only the sound ties them.

Shared letters across ache, ake: ae. Private letters are the ones only one spelling owns: the eye's fastest tell once sound is out of the picture.

Write "ache" when you mean: To suffer pain; to be the source of, or be in, pain, especially continued dull pain; to be distressed.
Write "ake" when you mean: Obsolete spelling of ache.

Edit-distance variants recorded against this cluster: useful when a search or OCR feed lands on the wrong form.

verb · /ˈeɪk/ · #16,397 frequency

To suffer pain; to be the source of, or be in, pain, especially continued dull pain; to be distressed.

verb · /eɪk/ · #46,292 frequency

Obsolete spelling of ache.

What to do next

You've reviewed the 2-spelling cluster (ache, ake). Here's where to go from here.

"ache" is the most frequent headword in this 2-spelling cluster (rank #16,397 in English). Full entry
Among English homophone groups, a cluster of 2 spellings ranks #133 by size (1,007 groups in this vintage). Corpus statistics
Explore a nearby 2-spelling cluster: aims · Ames. Nearby cluster
Each spelling in "ache, ake" has its own headword page with definition, IPA, and misspelling variants. First entry

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.