refer vs commend

refer and commend both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
refer	No	No	Yes	No
commend	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, commend is a hyponym of refer; that is, commend is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than refer:

refer (verb)	commend (verb)
think of, regard, or classify under a subsuming principle or with a general group or in relation to another	express approbation of
have as a meaning	mention as by way of greeting or to indicate friendship
make reference to	express a good opinion of
use a name to designate	give to in charge
seek information from	present as worthy of regard, kindness, or confidence
send or direct for treatment, information, or a decision
be relevant to