# pretend vs prevent

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### pretend
*verb · IPA /pɹəˈtɛnd/ · frequency rank #4,108*
To speak or behave so as to give a false or simulated appearance.

### prevent
*verb · IPA /pɹɪˈvɛnt/ · frequency rank #1,701*
To stop (an outcome); to keep from (doing something).

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