# tree vs tribe

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### tree
*noun · IPA /tɹiː/ · frequency rank #1,508*
A perennial woody plant taller and larger than a shrub with a wooden trunk and, at some distance from the ground, having leaves and branches.

### tribe
*noun · IPA /tɹaɪb/ · frequency rank #5,923*
An ethnic group larger than a band or clan (and which may contain clans) but smaller than a nation (and which in turn may constitute a nation with other tribes). The tribe is often the basis of ethnic identity.

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