# bait vs bit

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### bait
*noun · IPA /beɪt/ · frequency rank #8,894*
Any substance, especially food, used in catching fish, or other animals, by alluring them to a hook, snare, trap, or net.

### bit
*noun · IPA /ˈbɪt/ · frequency rank #419*
A piece of metal placed in a horse's mouth and connected to the reins to direct the animal.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bait-vs-bit