# must vs musty

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### must
*verb · IPA /məst/ · frequency rank #198*
To do as a requirement; indicates that the sentence subject is required as an imperative or directive to execute the sentence predicate, with failure to do so resulting in a failure or negative consequence.

### musty
*adjective · IPA /ˈmʌsti/ · frequency rank #35,838*
Affected by dampness or mould; damp, mildewed, mouldy.

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