# matte vs mote

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### matte
*noun · IPA /mæt/ · frequency rank #14,585*
A decorative border around a picture used to inset and center the contents of a frame.

### mote
*noun · IPA /moʊt/ · frequency rank #45,526*
A small particle; a speck.

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