# literacy vs literate

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### literacy
*noun · IPA /ˈlɪtəɹəsi/ · frequency rank #8,313*
The ability to read and write.

### literate
*adjective · IPA /ˈlɪtəɹət/ · frequency rank #20,415*
Able to read and write; having literacy.

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