# exert vs extort

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### exert
*verb · IPA /ɪɡˈzɝt/ · frequency rank #18,073*
To make use of, to apply, especially of something non-material; to bring to bear.

### extort
*verb · IPA /ɪkˈstɔː(ɹ)t/ · frequency rank #36,136*
To take or seize from an unwilling person by physical force, menace, duress, torture, or any undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity.

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