APIvsateConfusable pair

Which to use

“API” and “ate” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#19,027
“API” frequency rank
#23,677
“ate” frequency rank
42704
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature API ate
Definition Conjunto de especificaciones e implementación de comunicación entre componentes software. Se trata de de un conjunto de funciones o llamadas al sistema o bien un conjuto de clases y sus métodos cuyo propósito es ofrecer acceso a los servicios de un sistema. Dulce de membrillo en forma de barra o bloque a modo de dulce seco.

Where the eye mixes API and ate

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.

3 ch
API
3 ch
ate

Visual trap between API and ate

A purely visual mix-up. API ([ˈapi]) and ate ([ˈat̪e]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 42704, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

API is recorded at frequency rank #19,027, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈapi]. ate is at rank #23,677, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈat̪e].

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 42704, this pair ranks #146,750 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of API vs ate

Shared letters: a. Private to "API": ip. Private to "ate": et.

"API" · 3 letters · shape VCV  ·  "ate" · 3 letters · shape VCV

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "API" and "ate" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No. They are said differently ([ˈapi] versus [ˈat̪e]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "API" vs "ate" - which ranks higher?
"API" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #19,027 in our Spanish list, against #23,677 for "ate". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Useful next steps

Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.

  • Full dictionary entry for "API" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "ate" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #146,750 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "API" and "ate" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "anta vs ate". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #146,750 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list