# qual vs quill

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### qual
*noun · frequency rank #45,609*
Qualifying exam. An exam taken by someone (usually a grad student or prospective grad student) to measure their mastery in something, usually an academic field.

### quill
*noun · IPA /kwɪl/ · frequency rank #25,182*
The lower shaft of a feather, specifically the region lacking barbs.

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