# shave vs slave

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### shave
*verb · IPA /ʃeɪv/ · frequency rank #9,248*
To make (the head, skin etc.) bald or (the hair) shorter by using a tool such as a razor or electric clippers to cut the hair close to the skin.

### slave
*noun · IPA /sleɪv/ · frequency rank #4,270*
A person who is held in servitude as the property of another person, and whose labor (and often also whose body and life) is subject to the owner's volition and control.

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