# regulate vs regulator

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### regulate
*verb · IPA /ˈɹɛɡjəleɪ̯t/ · frequency rank #8,716*
To dictate policy.

### regulator
*noun · IPA /ˈɹɛɡ.jʊ.leɪ.tə/ · frequency rank #12,668*
A device that controls or limits something.

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