# protease vs protégé

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### protease
*noun · IPA /ˈpɹəʊtɪeɪz/ · frequency rank #38,114*
An enzyme that cuts or cleaves proteins.

### protégé
*noun · IPA /ˈpɹɒtəʒeɪ/ · frequency rank #39,040*
A person who is guided and supported by an older and more experienced person (a protector or mentor).

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