# regret vs retreat

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### regret
*verb · IPA /ɹɪˈɡɹɛt/ · frequency rank #3,838*
To feel sorry about (a thing that has or has not happened), afterthink: to wish that a thing had not happened, that something else had happened instead.

### retreat
*noun · IPA /ɹɪˈtɹiːt/ · frequency rank #5,833*
The act of pulling back or withdrawing, as from something dangerous, or unpleasant.

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