Which to use
“peak” is a noun and “pique” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,847
- “peak” frequency rank
- #31,706
- “pique” frequency rank
- 34553
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | peak | pique |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A point; the sharp end or top of anything that terminates in a point; as, the peak, or front, of a cap. | To wound the pride of (someone); to excite to anger; to irritate, to offend. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set peak and pique apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
peak and pique form a confusable pair in the English index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 34553, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
peak is recorded at frequency rank #2,847, classified as anoun, pronounced /piːk/. pique is at rank #31,706, tagged as averb, pronounced /piːk/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 34553, this pair ranks #319,816 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "peak" and "pique" be used interchangeably?
Remembering peak vs pique
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “peak”; for a verb, it's “pique”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “peak” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable