# reel vs roll

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

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

### roll
*verb · IPA /ɹəʊl/ · frequency rank #1,838*
To revolve by turning over and over; to move by turning on a horizontal axis; to impel forward with a revolving motion on a supporting surface.

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