# protect vs protégé

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### protect
*verb · IPA /pɹəˈtɛkt/ · frequency rank #1,283*
To keep safe; to defend; to guard; to prevent harm coming to.

### 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/protect-vs-protege