# plague vs plaque

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### plague
*noun · IPA /pleɪɡ/ · frequency rank #8,468*
The bubonic plague, the pestilent disease caused by the virulent bacterium Yersinia pestis.

### plaque
*noun · IPA /plæk/ · frequency rank #11,437*
Any flat, thin piece of clay, ivory, metal, etc., used for ornament, or for painting pictures upon, as a dish, plate, slab, etc., hung upon a wall; also, a smaller decoration worn by a person, such as a brooch.

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