# ghastly vs ghostly

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### ghastly
*adjective · IPA /ˈɡɑːs(t).li/ · frequency rank #26,441*
Like a ghost in appearance; death-like; pale; pallid; dismal.

### ghostly
*adjective · IPA /ˈɡoʊstli/ · frequency rank #24,168*
Of or pertaining to ghosts or spirits.

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