# taps vs tears

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### taps
*noun · IPA /tæps/ · frequency rank #13,824*
A signal, by drum or trumpet, for extinguishing all lights in soldiers' quarters and retiring to bed, usually given about a quarter of an hour after tattoo; the signal is sometimes also given during the funeral of a soldier.

### tears
*noun · IPA /tɪɹz/ · frequency rank #3,198*
plural of tear (“liquid from the eyes”)

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