Which to use
“API” and “ars” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #18,115
- “API” frequency rank
- #15,805
- “ars” frequency rank
- 33920
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | API | ars |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Alphabet phonétique international. | Pli formé par la réunion des membres antérieurs et du poitrail du cheval. |
Where the eye mixes API and ars
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Look-alike desk: API vs ars
A purely visual mix-up. API (\a.pi\) and ars (\aʁ\) 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 33920, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
API is recorded at frequency rank #18,115, classified as anoun, pronounced \a.pi\. ars is at rank #15,805, tagged as anoun, pronounced \aʁ\.
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 33920, this pair ranks #287,384 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of API vs ars
Shared letters: a. Private to "API": ip. Private to "ars": rs.
"API" · 3 letters · shape VCV · "ars" · 3 letters · shape VCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "API" for "ars" ever safe?
Frequency check: "API" vs "ars" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "API" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ars" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #287,384 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "API" and "ars" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "API vs aur". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #287,384 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.