# shrug vs shut

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

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

### shut
*verb · IPA /ʃʌt/ · frequency rank #1,738*
To close, in various senses.

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