# invent vs invest

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### invent
*verb · IPA /ɪnˈvɛnt/ · frequency rank #13,544*
To design a new process or mechanism.

### invest
*verb · IPA /ɪnˈvɛst/ · frequency rank #4,167*
To spend money, time, or energy on something, especially for some benefit or purpose; used with in.

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