# shrub

> English word · Noun · IPA /ʃɹʌb/ · frequency rank #22,810

## Definitions
1. A woody plant smaller than a tree, and usually with several stems from the same base.

## Etymology
From Middle English schrub, schrob, (also unassibilated as scrub), from Old English *sċrob (in placenames) and sċrybb (“a shrub; shrubbery; underbrush”); akin to Norwegian skrubbe (“the dwarf cornel tree”).

## Easily confused with
- **sub** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shrub-vs-sub)
- **shut** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shrub-vs-shut)
- **shun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shrub-vs-shun)
- **stub** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shrub-vs-stub)
- **snub** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shrub-vs-snub)
- **syrup** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shrub-vs-syrup)
- **shrug** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shrub-vs-shrug)
- **strut** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shrub-vs-strut)
- **shrunk** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shrub-vs-shrunk)
- **shrugs** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shrub-vs-shrugs)
- **Shri** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shri-vs-shrub)
- **Serb** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/serb-vs-shrub)
- **shout** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shout-vs-shrub)
- **serum** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/serum-vs-shrub)
- **scrub** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scrub-vs-shrub)
- **Shaun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shaun-vs-shrub)
- **shred** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shred-vs-shrub)
- **Shrek** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shrek-vs-shrub)
- **scrum** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scrum-vs-shrub)
- **shrew** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shrew-vs-shrub)

## Common misspellings (8)
`hsrub`, `shhrub`, `shrbu`, `shrrub`, `shrubb`, `shurb`, `srhub`, `sshrub`

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