allay vs soothe

allay

verb
  • To alleviate; to abate; to mitigate. 

  • To make quiet or put at rest; to pacify or appease; to quell; to calm. 

noun
  • Alleviation; abatement; check. 

soothe

verb
  • To allay; assuage; mitigate; soften. 

  • To smooth over; render less obnoxious. 

  • To restore to ease, comfort, or tranquility; relieve; calm; quiet; refresh. 

  • To calm or placate someone or some situation. 

  • To keep in good humour; wheedle; cajole; flatter. 

  • To ease or relieve pain or suffering. 

  • To temporise by assent, concession, flattery, or cajolery. 

  • To bring comfort or relief. 

How often have the words allay and soothe occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )