# eternal vs external

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### eternal
*adjective · IPA /ɪˈtɜː.nl̩/ · frequency rank #5,964*
Lasting forever; unending.

### external
*adjective · IPA /ɪkˈstɜː.nəl/ · frequency rank #2,893*
Outside of something; on the exterior.

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