# terminal vs terminate

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### terminal
*noun · IPA /ˈtɚmɪnəl/ · frequency rank #4,275*
A building in an airport where passengers transfer from ground transportation to the facilities that allow them to board airplanes.

### terminate
*verb · IPA /ˈtɜːmɪneɪt/ · frequency rank #12,153*
To end something, especially when left in an incomplete state.

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