# scale vs scalpel

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### scale
*noun · IPA /skeɪl/ · frequency rank #1,575*
A ladder; a series of steps; a means of ascending.

### scalpel
*noun · IPA /ˈskælpəl/ · frequency rank #39,076*
A small straight knife with a very sharp blade used for surgery, dissection and craftwork.

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