# phage vs phase

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### phage
*noun · IPA /feɪd͡ʒ/ · frequency rank #43,841*
A virus that is parasitic on bacteria.

### phase
*noun · IPA /feɪz/ · frequency rank #2,306*
A distinguishable part of a sequence or cycle occurring over time.

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