# buffer vs bummer

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### buffer
*noun · IPA /ˈbʌfə(ɹ)/ · frequency rank #9,856*
Someone or something that buffs (polishes and makes shiny).

### bummer
*noun · IPA /ˈbʌ.mɚ/ · frequency rank #22,307*
A forager, especially in Sherman's March to the Sea of November to December 1864.

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