# barb vs bulb

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### barb
*noun · IPA /bɑː(ɹ)b/ · frequency rank #19,268*
The point that stands backward in an arrow, fishhook, etc., to prevent it from being easily extracted. Hence: Anything which stands out with a sharp point obliquely or crosswise to something else.

### bulb
*noun · IPA /ˈbʌlb/ · frequency rank #11,846*
The bulb-shaped underground portion of a plant such as a tulip, consisting of a shortened stem and many fleshy scale leaves, from which the rest of the plant may be regrown.

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