# guideline vs guidelines

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### guideline
*noun · IPA /ˈɡaɪdˌlaɪn/ · frequency rank #20,944*
A non-specific rule or principle that provides direction to action or behaviour.

### guidelines
*noun · IPA /ˈɡaɪdˌlaɪnz/ · frequency rank #4,676*
plural of guideline

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