# alarm vs alert

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### alarm
*noun · IPA /əˈlɑːm/ · frequency rank #4,426*
A summons to arms, as on the approach of an enemy.

### alert
*adjective · IPA /əˈlɜːt/ · frequency rank #4,057*
Attentive; awake; on guard.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/alarm-vs-alert