# swab vs sway

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### swab
*noun · IPA /swɒb/ · frequency rank #35,972*
A small piece of soft, absorbent material, such as gauze, used to clean wounds, apply medicine, or take samples of body fluids. Often attached to a stick or wire to aid access.

### sway
*noun · IPA /ˈsweɪ̯/ · frequency rank #12,150*
The act of swaying; a swaying motion; a swing or sweep of a weapon.

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