# skirmish vs skittish

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### skirmish
*noun · IPA /ˈskɜːmɪʃ/ · frequency rank #26,964*
A brief battle between small groups, usually part of a longer or larger battle or war.

### skittish
*adjective · IPA /ˈskɪtɪʃ/ · frequency rank #45,660*
Easily scared or startled; timid.

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