# beta vs boa

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### beta
*noun · IPA /ˈbiːtə/ · frequency rank #5,101*
The second letter of the Greek alphabet (Β, β), preceded by alpha (Α, α) and followed by gamma, (Γ, γ). In modern Greek it represents the voiced labiodental fricative sound of v found in the English words have and vase.

### boa
*noun · IPA /ˈbəʊ.ə/ · frequency rank #22,904*
Any of a group of large American snakes, of the genus Boa, subfamily Boinae, or family Boidae, including the boa constrictor and the emperor boa of Mexico.

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