# detonate vs detonator

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### detonate
*verb · IPA /ˈdɛtəneɪt/ · frequency rank #29,627*
To explode, blow up

### detonator
*noun · IPA /ˈdɛt.ə.neɪ.tə(ɹ)/ · frequency rank #47,576*
A device used to detonate an explosive device etc.

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