# proof vs proto

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### proof
*noun · IPA /pɹuːf/ · frequency rank #2,052*
An effort, process, or operation designed to establish or discover a fact or truth; an act of testing; a test; a trial.

### proto
*adjective · frequency rank #21,626*
Prototypical; preceding the proper beginning of something.

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