# shirk vs spire

> 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.

### spire
*noun · IPA /spaɪə/ · frequency rank #25,217*
The stalk or stem of a plant.

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