# react vs retract

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### react
*verb · IPA /ɹiːˈækt/ · frequency rank #5,538*
To act in response.

### retract
*verb · IPA /ɹɪˈtɹækt/ · frequency rank #27,994*
To pull (something) back or back inside.

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