# spank vs stark

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### spank
*verb · IPA /ˈspæŋk/ · frequency rank #26,258*
To beat, smack or slap a person's buttocks, with the bare hand or other object, as punishment, or for sexual gratification.

### stark
*adjective · IPA /stɑɹk/ · frequency rank #7,065*
Hard, firm; obdurate.

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