Which to use
“ache” and “ape” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #9,947
- “ache” frequency rank
- #28,095
- “ape” frequency rank
- 38042
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ache | ape |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | dor, axe | comida para cavalos |
Where the eye mixes ache and ape
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: ache vs ape
A purely visual mix-up. ache (/eɪk/) and ape (/ˈɑ.pe/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38042, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ache is recorded at frequency rank #9,947, classified as anoun, pronounced /eɪk/. ape is at rank #28,095, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈɑ.pe/.
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 38042, this pair ranks #28,479 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of ache vs ape
Shared letters: ae. Private to "ache": ch. Private to "ape": p.
"ache" · 4 letters · shape VCCV · "ape" · 3 letters · shape VCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- ache ← acche · aceh · achhe · ahce · cahe
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "ache" and "ape" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "ache" or "ape"?
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 "ache" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ape" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #28,479 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ache" and "ape" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "acs vs ape". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #28,479 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.