# patting vs pausing

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### patting
*noun · IPA /ˈpætɪŋ/ · frequency rank #32,530*
The act by which something is patted.

### pausing
*noun · frequency rank #27,593*
A pause.

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