Peak, peek or pique?

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"Peak", "peek" or "pique"? Same sound. But three different spellings and three different meanings.

Here’s how to make sure you always use the correct one.
"Peak", P-E-A-K is a word meaning high point or to reach a high point, as in

"She was at the peak of her fame in the 1980s."

or

"The album peaked at number three in the charts."


The way to remember this spelling is to think of the A in the middle of "peak" as a snowy mountain - like the peak of everest.

In contrast, "Peek", P - DOUBLE E - K, means a quick or furtive glance or to take a quick or furtive glance, as in:


"I took a sneaky peek at the questions before the exam started."

and

"The postman peeked through the letterbox."

The way to remember this word is to think of those E’s as two eyes furtively glancing around.

Finally, "PIQUE", with a QUE means a feeling of anger or irritation as in:

"He stormed off in a fit of pique."

It can also mean something like to arouse the curiosity, as in:

"The menu piqued my interest."

This word pique with a Q comes from the French word meaning to prick or irritated and is related to the word piquant meaning to have a sharp or spicy taste.

The way to remember this word is to think about the tail of that q as something that pricks you into action.

So there you have it - "peak", "peek" and "pique". Just think of a mountain, a pair of eyes and that piercing Q.

I’m Dr Clare Lynch of Doris and Bertie. Subscribe to the channel for more quick writing tips!

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