# retrace vs retract

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### retrace
*verb · IPA /ɹiːˈtɹeɪs/ · frequency rank #42,380*
To trace (a line, etc. in drawing) again.

### retract
*verb · IPA /ɹɪˈtɹækt/ · frequency rank #27,994*
To pull (something) back or back inside.

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