# anathema vs anthem

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### anathema
*noun · IPA /əˈnæθəmə/ · frequency rank #37,317*
A ban or curse pronounced with religious solemnity by ecclesiastical authority, often accompanied by excommunication; something denounced as accursed.

### anthem
*noun · IPA /ˈæn.θəm/ · frequency rank #8,118*
Antiphon.

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