# reduce vs refuse

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### reduce
*verb · IPA /ɹɪˈd͡ʒuːs/ · frequency rank #1,916*
To bring down the size, quantity, quality, value or intensity of something; to diminish, to lower.

### refuse
*adjective · IPA /ˈɹɛfjuːs/ · frequency rank #3,718*
Discarded, rejected.

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