# scold vs scour

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### scold
*noun · IPA /skəʊld/ · frequency rank #36,752*
A person who habitually scolds, in particular a troublesome and angry woman.

### scour
*verb · IPA /ˈskaʊə/ · frequency rank #30,216*
To clean, polish, or wash (something) by rubbing and scrubbing it vigorously, frequently with an abrasive or cleaning agent.

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