# saliva vs silica

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### saliva
*noun · IPA /səˈlaɪvə/ · frequency rank #18,424*
A clear, slightly alkaline liquid secreted into the mouth by the salivary glands and mucous glands, consisting of water, mucin, protein, and enzymes. It moistens the mouth, lubricates ingested food, and begins the breakdown of starches.

### silica
*noun · IPA /ˈsɪl.ɪ.kə/ · frequency rank #20,498*
Silicon dioxide.

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