# earliest vs earnest

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### earliest
*adjective · IPA /ˈɝ.li.ɪst/ · frequency rank #6,133*
superlative form of early: most early

### earnest
*noun · IPA /ˈɝ.nɪst/ · frequency rank #11,884*
Gravity; serious purpose; earnestness.

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