# shrub vs shrug

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### shrub
*noun · IPA /ʃɹʌb/ · frequency rank #22,810*
A woody plant smaller than a tree, and usually with several stems from the same base.

### shrug
*noun · IPA /ʃɹʌɡ/ · frequency rank #19,696*
A lifting of the shoulders to signal indifference or a casual lack of knowledge.

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