# illiteracy vs illiterate

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### illiteracy
*noun · IPA /ɪˈlɪtəɹəsi/ · frequency rank #34,535*
The inability to read and write.

### illiterate
*adjective · IPA /ɪˈlɪtəɹət/ · frequency rank #17,860*
Unable to read and write.

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