# spade vs stake

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### spade
*noun · IPA /speɪ̯d/ · frequency rank #18,960*
A garden tool with a handle and a flat blade for digging. Not to be confused with a shovel which is used for moving earth or other materials.

### stake
*noun · IPA /steɪk/ · frequency rank #5,631*
A piece of wood or other material, usually long and slender, pointed at one end so as to be easily driven into the ground as a marker or a support or stay.

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