# pawn vs pax

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### pawn
*noun · IPA /ˈpɔːn/ · frequency rank #14,379*
The state of being held as security for a loan, or as a pledge.

### pax
*noun · IPA /pæks/ · frequency rank #19,655*
A painted, stamped or carved tablet with a representation of Christ or the Virgin Mary, which was kissed by the priest during the Mass ("kiss of peace") and then passed to other officiating clergy and the congregation to be kissed. See also osculatory.

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