# rail vs rib

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### rail
*noun · IPA /ɹeɪ(ə)l/ · frequency rank #3,579*
A horizontal bar extending between supports and used for support or as a barrier; a railing.

### rib
*noun · IPA /ɹɪb/ · frequency rank #13,230*
Any of a series of long curved bones occurring in 12 pairs in humans and other animals and extending from the spine to or toward the sternum.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rail-vs-rib