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'Board' is a flat surface, a group of directors, or the act of getting on transport; 'bored' means feeling dull and restless.
Side-by-side comparison
"Board" is a plank, a board, or a committee. Also the verb to get on transport: "board the plane" = get on the plane.
The board of directors approved the merger unanimously.
Passengers may board the aircraft through gate seventeen.
He wrote the agenda on the whiteboard before the meeting.
"Bored" is the past participle of "bore" and describes how you feel when something does not interest you. "I'm bored" = I feel boredom. Don't confuse with "boring" (which describes the cause).
She was bored during the three-hour conference call.
If you're bored, there are plenty of tasks you could help with.
The children looked bored waiting for the ceremony to start.
Common mistake
- •"I was so board during that meeting" is wrong: the feeling of tedium is "bored".
- •"Board" is a flat surface, a group of directors, or the act of getting on transport.
Trick to remember it
- •"Bored" ends in D like "dead" (bored to death).
- •"Board" has the flat O of a plank of wood: wide and straight.
Quick rule
- •"Board" = flat surface, directors group, or getting on transport.
- •"Bored" = the feeling of tedium or restlessness.
Did you know?
The business phrase "on board" meaning "in agreement" comes directly from the nautical sense of being aboard a ship. "Is everyone on board?" essentially asks if all crew are present and ready to sail. "Above board" (legitimate, transparent) comes from card games: keeping your hands above the table (the board) to prove you are not cheating, a centuries-old phrase that migrated from gaming tables to boardrooms.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
The children were completely _____ during the long car journey. They kept asking "Are we there yet?"
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
Passengers must _____ the plane 30 minutes before departure.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
One means to receive or agree to something, the other means to exclude or not include.
'Advice' is the guidance you receive (noun); 'advise' is the act of giving that guidance (verb).
'Affect' is the verb meaning to influence something; 'effect' is the noun meaning result or consequence.
'Aisle' is the walkway between rows of seats or shelves; 'isle' is a small island.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy