# repeating vs retreating

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### repeating
*verb · IPA /ɹɪˈpiːtɪŋ/ · frequency rank #9,088*
present participle and gerund of repeat

### retreating
*noun · frequency rank #20,478*
The act of moving back from something; a retreat.

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