# pastel vs pasty

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### pastel
*noun · IPA /ˈpæstl̩/ · frequency rank #21,019*
Any of several subdued tints of colors, usually associated with pink, peach, yellow, green, blue, and lavender.

### pasty
*adjective · IPA /ˈpeɪsti/ · frequency rank #33,783*
Like paste, sticky.

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