# influence vs influenza

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### influence
*noun · IPA /ˈɪn.flu.əns/ · frequency rank #1,725*
The power to affect, control or manipulate something or someone; the ability to change the development of fluctuating things such as conduct, thoughts or decisions.

### influenza
*noun · IPA /ˌɪn.fluˈɛn.zə/ · frequency rank #14,773*
An acute contagious disease of the upper airways and lungs, caused by a virus, which rapidly spreads around the world in seasonal epidemics.

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