# cough vs crush

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### cough
*verb · IPA /kɒf/ · frequency rank #7,668*
Sometimes followed by up: to force (something) out of the lungs or throat by pushing air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound), and out through the mouth.

### crush
*noun · IPA /kɹʌʃ/ · frequency rank #5,409*
A violent collision or compression; a crash; destruction; ruin.

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