# wick vs wire

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### wick
*noun · IPA /wɪk/ · frequency rank #18,737*
A braid or bundle of fibre or other porous material (now generally twisted or woven cotton) in a candle, kerosene heater, oil lamp, etc., that draws up a liquid fuel (such as melted tallow or wax, or oil) at one end, to be ignited at the other end to produce a flame.

### wire
*noun · IPA /waɪə(ɹ)/ · frequency rank #3,460*
Metal formed into a thin, even thread, now usually by being drawn through a hole in a steel die.

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