Which to use
“algae” and “altar” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #14,062
- “algae” frequency rank
- #9,562
- “altar” frequency rank
- 23624
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | algae | altar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | plural of alga | A table or similar flat-topped structure used for religious rites. |
Where the eye mixes algae and altar
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between algae and altar
A purely visual mix-up. algae (/ˈæl.d͡ʒi/) and altar (/ˈɒl.tə/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 23624, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
algae is recorded at frequency rank #14,062, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈæl.d͡ʒi/. altar is at rank #9,562, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈɒl.tə/.
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 23624, this pair ranks #407,954 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of algae vs altar
Shared letters: al. Private to "algae": eg. Private to "altar": rt.
"algae" · 5 letters · shape VCCVV · "altar" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "algae" and "altar" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "algae" vs "altar" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "algae" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "altar" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #407,954 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "algae" and "altar" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "algae vs algo". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #407,954 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.