# civilian vs civility

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### civilian
*noun · IPA /sɪˈvɪl.jən/ · frequency rank #4,837*
A person following the pursuits of civil life, especially one who is not an active member of the armed forces.

### civility
*noun · IPA /sɪˈvɪl.ɪ.ti/ · frequency rank #27,772*
Speech or behaviour that is fit for civil interactions; politeness, courtesy.

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