# refuse vs refute

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

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

### refute
*verb · IPA /ɹɪˈfjuːt/ · frequency rank #24,295*
To prove (something) to be false or incorrect.

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