# recessive vs recursive

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### recessive
*adjective · IPA /ɹɪˈsɛsɪv/ · frequency rank #32,553*
Going back; receding.

### recursive
*adjective · IPA /ɹɪˈkɜː(ɹ)sɪv/ · frequency rank #32,997*
drawing upon itself, referring back.

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