weak and week are homophones: they are pronounced identically and spelled differently, which is why they are so often swapped. weak means “wanting in physical strength”. week means “any period of seven consecutive days”.
/ˈwik/
1.adj.wanting in physical strength
“a weak pillar”
2.adj.overly diluted; thin and insipid
“washy coffee”
3.adj.(used of vowels or syllables) pronounced with little or no stress
“a syllable that ends in a short vowel is a light syllable”
/ˈwik/
1.n.any period of seven consecutive days
“it rained for a week”
2.n.hours or days of work in a calendar week
“they worked a 40-hour week”
3.n.a period of seven consecutive days starting on Sunday
| weak | week | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈwik/ | /ˈwik/ |
| Said | week | week |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 4 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | adjective | noun |
| Senses | 12 | 3 |
| How common | Core | Core |
| Synonyms | none recorded | hebdomad |
Full entry for weak · Full entry for week · More comparisons