# scrub vs shrub

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### scrub
*adjective · IPA /skɹʌb/ · frequency rank #11,457*
Mean; dirty; contemptible; scrubby.

### shrub
*noun · IPA /ʃɹʌb/ · frequency rank #22,810*
A woody plant smaller than a tree, and usually with several stems from the same base.

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