# balsam vs basal

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### balsam
*noun · IPA /ˈbɔːl.səm/ · frequency rank #44,075*
A sweet-smelling oil or resin derived from various plants.

### basal
*adjective · IPA [ˈbeɪsəɫ] · frequency rank #17,082*
Basic, elementary; relating to, or forming, the base, or point of origin.

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