# balk vs buck

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### balk
*noun · IPA /bɔːk/ · frequency rank #40,576*
An uncultivated ridge formed in the open field system, caused by the action of ploughing.

### buck
*noun · IPA /bʌk/ · frequency rank #6,994*
A male deer, antelope, sheep, goat, rabbit, hare, and sometimes the male of other animals such as the hamster, ferret, salmonid, shad and kangaroo.

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