# infect vs infer

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### infect
*verb · IPA /ɪnˈfɛkt/ · frequency rank #18,109*
To bring (the body or part of it) into contact with a substance that causes illness (a pathogen), so that the pathogen begins to act on the body; (of a pathogen) to come into contact with (a body or body part) and begin to act on it.

### infer
*verb · IPA /ɪnˈfɜː/ · frequency rank #23,568*
To introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence.

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