# past vs phase

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### past
*noun · IPA /pɑːst/ · frequency rank #437*
The period of time that has already happened, in contrast to the present and the future.

### phase
*noun · IPA /feɪz/ · frequency rank #2,306*
A distinguishable part of a sequence or cycle occurring over time.

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