# vertebra vs vertebrae

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### vertebra
*noun · IPA /ˈvɜː.tɪb.ɹə/ · frequency rank #38,675*
Any of the bony or cartilaginous segments which make up the backbone, consisting in some lower vertebrates of several distinct elements which never become united, and in higher vertebrates having a short more or less cylindrical body whose ends articulate by pads of elastic or cartilaginous tissue with those of adjacent vertebrae and a bony arch that encloses the spinal cord.

### vertebrae
*noun · IPA /ˈvɝ.təˌbɹeɪ/ · frequency rank #22,261*
plural of vertebra; the bones that make up the spinal column.

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