# shirk vs stir

> 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.

### stir
*verb · IPA /stɜː/ · frequency rank #7,614*
To disturb the relative position of the particles (of a liquid or similar) by passing an object through it.

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