# fray vs Fred

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### 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.

### Fred
*name · IPA /fɹɛd/ · frequency rank #5,044*
A short version of Frederick, Alfred, or Wilfred, also used as a formal male given name.

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