# earl vs eau

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### earl
*noun · IPA /ɜːl/ · frequency rank #5,322*
A British or Irish nobleman next in rank above a viscount and below a marquess; equivalent to a European count. A female using the style is termed a countess.

### eau
*noun · IPA /juː/ · frequency rank #23,815*
Alternative form of ea.

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