# outlay vs outlet

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### outlay
*noun · IPA /ˈaʊtleɪ/ · frequency rank #35,861*
A laying out or expending; that which is laid out or expended.

### outlet
*noun · IPA /ˈaʊtlɛt/ · frequency rank #7,163*
A vent or similar passage to allow the escape of something.

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