# steam vs steep

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### steam
*noun · IPA /stiːm/ · frequency rank #2,918*
The hot gaseous form of water, formed when water changes from the liquid phase to the gas phase (at or above its boiling point temperature).

### steep
*adjective · IPA /stiːp/ · frequency rank #7,292*
Of a near-vertical gradient; of a slope, surface, curve, etc. that proceeds upward at an angle near vertical.

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