# refine vs refuse

> 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.

### refuse
*adjective · IPA /ˈɹɛfjuːs/ · frequency rank #3,718*
Discarded, rejected.

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