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.

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