# partial vs particle

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### partial
*adjective · IPA /ˈpɑɹʃəl/ · frequency rank #5,442*
Existing as a part or portion; incomplete.

### particle
*noun · IPA /ˈpɑːtɪk(ə)l/ · frequency rank #8,326*
A very small piece of matter, a fragment; especially, the smallest possible part of something.

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