# pen vs per

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### pen
*noun · IPA /ˈpɛn/ · frequency rank #3,775*
An enclosure (enclosed area) used to contain domesticated animals, especially sheep or cattle.

### per
*preposition · IPA /pɜː/ · frequency rank #339*
For each.

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