Which to use
“ake” is a verb and “alike” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #46,292
- “ake” frequency rank
- #5,756
- “alike” frequency rank
- 52048
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ake | alike |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Obsolete spelling of ache. | Having resemblance or similitude; similar; without difference. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ake and alike apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: ake is /eɪk/ while alike is /əˈlaɪk/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 52048, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ake is recorded at frequency rank #46,292, classified as averb, pronounced /eɪk/. alike is at rank #5,756, tagged as anadj, pronounced /əˈlaɪk/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 52048, this pair ranks #160,298 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of ake vs alike
Shared letters: aek. Private to "ake": -. Private to "alike": il.
"ake" · 3 letters · shape VCV · "alike" · 5 letters · shape VCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- alike ← ailke · aliek · alikke · alkie · allike · laike
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ake" and "alike" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "ake" or "alike"?
Remembering ake vs alike
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “ake”; for an adjective, it's “alike”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “ake” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable