# sift vs sniff

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### sift
*verb · IPA /sɪft/ · frequency rank #28,368*
To sieve or strain (something).

### sniff
*verb · IPA /snɪf/ · frequency rank #16,349*
To make a short, audible inhalation, through the nose, as when smelling something.

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