# boo vs bug

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### boo
*intj · IPA /buː/ · frequency rank #8,014*
A loud exclamation intended to scare someone. Usually used when one has been hidden from the target, and then appears unexpectedly.

### bug
*noun · IPA /bʌɡ/ · frequency rank #5,105*
An insect of the order Hemiptera (the “true bugs”).

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