# animal vs animus

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### animal
*noun · IPA /ˈæn.ᵻ.məl/ · frequency rank #1,623*
Any member of the kingdom Animalia of multicellular organisms that are usually mobile, whose cells are not encased in a rigid cell wall (distinguishing them from plants and fungi) and which derive energy solely from the consumption of other organisms (further distinguishing them from plants).

### animus
*noun · IPA /ˈæ.nɪ.məs/ · frequency rank #41,505*
The basic impulses and instincts which govern one's actions.

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