# retained vs retainer

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### retained
*verb · IPA /ɹɪˈteɪnd/ · frequency rank #6,409*
simple past and past participle of retain

### retainer
*noun · IPA /ɹɪˈteɪn.ə/ · frequency rank #24,886*
Any thing or person that retains.

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