# repel vs reply

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### repel
*verb · IPA /ɹɪˈpɛl/ · frequency rank #22,488*
To turn (someone) away from a privilege, right, job, etc.

### reply
*verb · IPA /ɹɪˈplaɪ/ · frequency rank #3,020*
To give a written or spoken response, especially to a question, request, accusation or criticism; to answer.

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