# bob vs by

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### bob
*verb · IPA /bɒb/ · frequency rank #2,331*
To move gently and vertically, in either a single motion or repeatedly up and down, at or near the surface of a body of water, or similar medium.

### by
*preposition · IPA /baɪ/ · frequency rank #24*
Near or next to.

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