# shirk vs sire

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### shirk
*verb · IPA /ʃɜːk/ · frequency rank #43,913*
To avoid, especially a duty, responsibility, etc.; to stay away from.

### sire
*noun · IPA /saɪə(ɹ)/ · frequency rank #16,586*
A lord, master, or other person in authority, most commonly used vocatively: formerly in speaking to elders and superiors, later only when addressing a sovereign.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shirk-vs-sire