# canister vs cloister

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### canister
*noun · IPA /ˈkænɪstɚ/ · frequency rank #25,698*
A cylindrical or rectangular container usually of lightweight metal, plastic, or laminated pasteboard used for holding a dry product (as tea, crackers, flour, matches).

### cloister
*noun · IPA /ˈklɔɪstə/ · frequency rank #39,248*
A covered walk with an open colonnade on one side, running along the walls of buildings that surround a quadrangle; especially:

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