# infect vs inset

> 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.

### inset
*verb · IPA /ˈɪnsɛt/ · frequency rank #34,939*
To set in; infix or implant.

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