# pale vs pike

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### pale
*adjective · IPA /peɪl/ · frequency rank #6,275*
Light in color.

### pike
*noun · IPA /paɪk/ · frequency rank #11,580*
A very long spear used two-handed by infantry soldiers for thrusting (not throwing), both for attacks on enemy foot soldiers and as a countermeasure against cavalry assaults.

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