# reek vs refer

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

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

### refer
*verb · IPA /ɹɪˈfɜː/ · frequency rank #3,330*
To direct the attention of (someone toward something)

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