# refine vs refinery

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### refine
*verb · IPA /ɹɪˈfaɪn/ · frequency rank #20,204*
To purify; reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities.

### refinery
*noun · IPA /rɪˈfaɪnərɪ/ · frequency rank #15,255*
A building, or a mass of machinery, used to produce refined products such as sugar, oil, or metals.

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