Peak vs Peek vs Pique: Easy Tips for Keeping Them Straight

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Peak vs peek vs pique. Oh, my! How the heck can you keep these pesky homophones straight?

Luckily, I have an easy way to remember. Let’s dive in.

When to use peak vs peek vs pique: use this trick

PEEK: You need your eyes to look quickly—or “peek”—at something. There are two e’s in eyes. Same for peek. (You also have two eyes, so you can use that hint as well.)

PEAK: The peak is the top of something, often a mountain. Think of the Alps (“a” in Alps; “a” in “peak”).

PIQUE: If you “pique” someone’s interest, it’s spelled p-i-q-u-e. Think of it this way: Q is one of the craziest, coolest letters in our alphabet (and worth 10 points in Scrabble). If something interests you, it’s probably because it’s cool. So think “cool Q” and write pique correctly.

EXAMPLES

  • I peeked out the window and caught a glimpse of the mountain peak despite the cloud cover.
  • When I was a kid, I peeked in the attic, looking for Christmas presents.
  • She’s scaled the highest peaks in the world.
  • If copywriting piques your interest, be sure to check out my YouTube channel.

Language is fun. Here are my go-to writing and editing resources.

Note: I use affiliate links for some of them. If you use one of the links to buy something, it won’t cost you more, but I’ll earn a small commission. I only recommend stuff that I believe in.

  • Grammarly. (Affiliate link.) The free version is great at catching critical errors. I used it for about a year before upgrading to the premium tier, and I’m glad I did. You can sign up for the free version here. (If you sign up or buy via my affiliate link, it won’t cost you more, but I’ll earn a small commission.)
  • A Writer’s Reference by Diana Hacker and Nancy Sommers. (Amazon affiliate link link.) I have the fifth edition, which is excellent. I’m thinking about upgrading to the 10th. Hacker was incredible. She died in 2004, but her memory lives on.
  • Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer. (Amazon affiliate link.) Another gem. I gave this one to Mr. Word Nerd.