# micro vs microbe

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### micro
*adjective · IPA /ˈmaɪ.kɹoʊ/ · frequency rank #6,268*
Small, relatively small; used to contrast levels of the noun modified.

### microbe
*noun · IPA /ˈmaɪkɹəʊb/ · frequency rank #45,516*
Any microorganism; (loosely, nonscientifically) especially, a harmful bacterium.

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