# literal vs literate

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### literal
*adjective · IPA /ˈlɪt(ə)ɹəl/ · frequency rank #10,077*
Exactly as stated; read or understood without interpretation; according to the letter; not figurative or metaphorical; following the letter or exact words; not taking liberties; etymonic rather than idiomatic.

### 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/literal-vs-literate