# shale vs sharp

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### shale
*noun · IPA /ʃeɪl/ · frequency rank #11,460*
A shell, scale or husk; a cod or pod.

### sharp
*adjective · IPA /ʃɑːp/ · frequency rank #3,136*
Terminating in a point or edge, especially one that can cut or pierce easily; not dull, obtuse, or rounded.

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