# metal vs metre

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### metal
*noun · IPA /ˈmɛ.təl/ · frequency rank #1,607*
Chemical elements or alloys, their ores, and the mines where their ores come from.

### metre
*noun · IPA /ˈmiːtə/ · frequency rank #10,237*
The basic unit of length in the International System of Units (SI: Système International d'Unités), equal to the distance travelled by light in a vacuum in 1/299 792 458 seconds. The metre is equal to 39+⁴⁷⁄₁₂₇ (approximately 39.37) imperial inches.

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