# shake vs spike

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### shake
*verb · IPA /ˈʃeɪk/ · frequency rank #4,121*
To cause (something) to move rapidly in opposite directions alternatingly.

### spike
*noun · IPA /spaɪk/ · frequency rank #7,612*
A sort of very large nail.

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