# fear vs fray

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### fear
*noun · IPA /fɪə/ · frequency rank #1,184*
A strong, unpleasant emotion or feeling caused by actual or perceived danger or threat.

### fray
*verb · IPA /fɹeɪ/ · frequency rank #20,120*
To rub or wear away (something); to cause (something made of strands twisted or woven together, such as cloth or rope) to unravel through friction; also, to irritate (something) through chafing or rubbing; to chafe.

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