# retire vs retry

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### retire
*verb · IPA /ɹəˈtaɪə(ɹ)/ · frequency rank #6,613*
To stop working on a permanent basis, usually because of old age or illness.

### retry
*verb · IPA /riˈtɹaɪ/ · frequency rank #49,014*
To try or attempt again.

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