# tail vs tar

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### tail
*noun · IPA /teɪl/ · frequency rank #4,052*
The caudal appendage of an animal that is attached to their posterior and near the anus or cloaca.

### tar
*noun · IPA /tɑː/ · frequency rank #12,515*
A black, oily, sticky, viscous substance, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons derived from organic materials such as wood, peat, or coal.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tail-vs-tar