Which to use
“ape” is a noun and “aps” is a pronoun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #45,736
- “ape” frequency rank
- #39,057
- “aps” frequency rank
- 84793
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ape | aps |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Espalda. | Ese., esa, eso |
Where the eye mixes ape and aps
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. ape (VCV) and aps (VCC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses ape with aps
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: ape is [aˈpe] while aps is /aps/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - e in “ape” becomes s in “aps”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs pronoun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 84793, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ape is recorded at frequency rank #45,736, classified as anoun, pronounced [aˈpe]. aps is at rank #39,057, tagged as apron, pronounced /aps/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 84793, this pair ranks #6,692 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of ape vs aps
Shared letters: ap. Private to "ape": e. Private to "aps": s.
"ape" · 3 letters · shape VCV · "aps" · 3 letters · shape VCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ape" and "aps" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "ape" vs "aps" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "ape" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "aps" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #6,692 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ape" and "aps" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "ape vs apis". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #6,692 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.