# paste vs pesto

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### paste
*noun · IPA /peɪst/ · frequency rank #8,183*
A soft moist mixture, in particular:

### pesto
*noun · IPA /ˈpɛstoʊ/ · frequency rank #33,789*
A sauce, especially for pasta, originating from the Genoa region in Italy, made from basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil and cheese (usually pecorino).

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