# shun vs smug

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### shun
*verb · IPA /ʃʌn/ · frequency rank #21,359*
To avoid, especially persistently; ostracize.

### smug
*adjective · IPA /smʌɡ/ · frequency rank #19,467*
irritatingly pleased with oneself; offensively self-complacent, self-satisfied.

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