# sieve vs slave

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### sieve
*noun · IPA /sɪv/ · frequency rank #29,084*
A device with a mesh, grate, or otherwise perforated bottom to separate, in a granular material, larger particles from smaller ones, or to separate solid objects from a liquid.

### slave
*noun · IPA /sleɪv/ · frequency rank #4,270*
A person who is held in servitude as the property of another person, and whose labor (and often also whose body and life) is subject to the owner's volition and control.

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