# shrank vs spank

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### shrank
*verb · IPA /ˈʃɹæŋk/ · frequency rank #33,019*
simple past of shrink

### spank
*verb · IPA /ˈspæŋk/ · frequency rank #26,258*
To beat, smack or slap a person's buttocks, with the bare hand or other object, as punishment, or for sexual gratification.

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