# idea vs ides

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### idea
*noun · IPA /aɪ̯ˈdɪə̯/ · frequency rank #434*
An abstract archetype of a given thing, compared to which real-life examples are seen as imperfect approximations; pure essence, as opposed to actual examples.

### ides
*noun · IPA /aɪdz/ · frequency rank #44,856*
The notional full-moon day of a Roman month, occurring on the 15th day of the four original 31-day months (March, May, Quintilis or July, and October) and on the 13th day of all other months.

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