# relapse vs release

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### relapse
*verb · IPA /ɹɪˈlæps/ · frequency rank #19,187*
To fall back again; to slide or turn back into a former state or practice.

### release
*noun · IPA /ɹəˈliːs/ · frequency rank #856*
The event of setting (someone or something) free (e.g. hostages, slaves, prisoners, caged animals, hooked or stuck mechanisms).

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