# smile vs stale

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### smile
*noun · IPA /ˈsmaɪl/ · frequency rank #2,316*
A facial expression comprised by flexing the muscles of both ends of one's mouth, often showing the front teeth, without vocalisation, and in humans is a common involuntary or voluntary expression of happiness, pleasure, amusement, goodwill, or anxiety.

### stale
*adjective · IPA /steɪl/ · frequency rank #16,589*
Clear, free of dregs and lees; old and strong.

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