# anesthesia vs anesthetic

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### anesthesia
*noun · IPA /ˌæn.əsˈθiːz.i.ə/ · frequency rank #17,287*
An artificial method of preventing sensation, used to eliminate pain without causing loss of vital functions, by the administration of one or more agents which block pain impulses before transmitted to the brain.

### anesthetic
*adjective · IPA /ˌænəsˈθɛtɪk/ · frequency rank #26,679*
Causing anesthesia; reducing pain sensitivity.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/anesthesia-vs-anesthetic