# reek vs reel

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### reek
*noun · IPA /riːk/ · frequency rank #39,053*
A strong unpleasant smell.

### reel
*noun · IPA /ɹiːl/ · frequency rank #11,590*
A shaky or unsteady gait.

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