Asphalt may be confused with coal tar, which is a visually similar black, thermoplastic material produced by the destructive distillation of coal.
ˈæsfɔlt mˈeɪ biː kənfjˈuːzd wɪð kˈoʊl tˈɑːɹ, wˌɪtʃ ɪz ɐ vˈɪʒuːəli sˈɪmɪlɚ blˈæk, θˌɜːməplˈæstɪk mətˈɪɹiəl pɹədˈuːst baɪ ðə dᵻstɹˈʌktɪv dɪstɪlˈeɪʃən ʌv kˈoʊl.