# germ vs gro

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### germ
*noun · IPA /d͡ʒɜːm/ · frequency rank #22,388*
The small mass of cells from which a new organism develops; a seed, bud, spore, or zygote.

### gro
*adjective · IPA /ˈɡrəʊ/ · frequency rank #42,164*
Disgusting, unpleasant; gross.

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