# hapless vs harmless

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### hapless
*adjective · IPA /ˈhæplɪs/ · frequency rank #33,671*
unfortunate.

### harmless
*adjective · IPA /ˈhɑːmləs/ · frequency rank #9,757*
Incapable of causing harm or danger; safe.

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