# reference vs references

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### reference
*noun · IPA /ˈɹɛf.(ə.)ɹəns/ · frequency rank #1,876*
A relationship or relation (to something).

### references
*noun · IPA /ˈɹɛf.(ə.)ɹən.sɪz/ · frequency rank #3,524*
plural of reference

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