# spectral vs spectrum

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### spectral
*adjective · IPA /ˈspɛktɹəɫ/ · frequency rank #15,915*
Of, or pertaining to, spectres; ghostly.

### spectrum
*noun · IPA /ˈspɛktɹəm/ · frequency rank #4,634*
A range; a continuous, infinite, one-dimensional set, possibly bounded by extremes.

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