# tern vs there

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### tern
*noun · IPA /tɜːn/ · frequency rank #40,923*
Any of various seabirds of the subfamily Sterninae (of the family Laridae) that are similar to gulls but are smaller and have a forked tail.

### there
*adverb · IPA /ðə(ɹ)/ · frequency rank #57*
In or at a place or location (stated, implied or otherwise indicated) that is perceived to be away from, or at a relative distance from, the speaker (compare here).

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