# eel vs excel

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### eel
*noun · IPA /iːl/ · frequency rank #21,505*
Any freshwater fish of the order Anguilliformes, which are elongated and resemble snakes.

### excel
*verb · IPA /ɪkˈsɛl/ · frequency rank #10,691*
To surpass someone or something; to be better or do better than someone or something.

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