# salt vs salve

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### salt
*noun · IPA /sɒlt/ · frequency rank #2,499*
A common substance, chemically consisting mainly of sodium chloride (NaCl), used extensively as a food ingredient, seasoning, condiment, and preservative.

### salve
*noun · IPA /sɑːv/ · frequency rank #36,747*
An ointment, cream, or balm with soothing, healing, or calming effects.

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