Which to use
“API” and “ass” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #11,501
- “API” frequency rank
- #1,065
- “ass” frequency rank
- 12566
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | API | ass |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Initialism of active pharmaceutical ingredient. | Any of several species of horse-like animals, especially Equus asinus, the domesticated of which are used as beasts of burden. |
Where the eye mixes API and ass
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Why the eye confuses API with ass
A purely visual mix-up. API (/ˌeɪˌpiˈaɪ/) and ass (/æs/) 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 12566, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
API is recorded at frequency rank #11,501, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˌeɪˌpiˈaɪ/. ass is at rank #1,065, tagged as anoun, pronounced /æs/.
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 12566, this pair ranks #480,813 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of API vs ass
Shared letters: a. Private to "API": ip. Private to "ass": s.
"API" · 3 letters · shape VCV · "ass" · 3 letters · shape VCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "API" for "ass" ever safe?
In ordinary English text, does "API" or "ass" show up more?
What to do next
Eye-level mix-up between "API" and "ass" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "API" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ass" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #480,813 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "API" and "ass" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "amb vs API". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #480,813 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.