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"Carry" is to hold or transport something; "wear" is to have something on your body like clothing or accessories.
Side-by-side comparison
"Carry" means to hold and transport something in your hands, arms, or with you, without it being on your body. You move the object from one place to another.
She was carrying a heavy backpack full of books.
Can you carry these groceries to the car for me?
He always carries his keys in his right pocket.
"Wear" means to have something on your body: clothing, accessories, glasses, perfume. It is in contact with your body or is part of your appearance.
She was wearing a red dress and gold earrings.
He wears glasses but only for reading.
Always wear a helmet when you ride a bicycle.
Common mistake
"She is carrying a beautiful dress" is wrong if she has it on. Correct: "She is wearing a beautiful dress". The reverse: "He is wearing his laptop in his bag" is also wrong, the laptop is not on his body as clothing. Correct: "He is carrying his laptop in his bag".
Trick to remember it
- •Is it on your body as part of your appearance? "Wear".
- •Are you transporting it from place to place? "Carry".
- •"Wear" is for clothes, shoes, accessories, and perfume.
- •"Carry" is for bags, suitcases, or anything you hold and transport.
Quick rule
- •"Wear" = have on the body (clothing, accessories).
- •"Carry" = hold and transport.
Did you know?
"Carry yourself well" (behave with dignity, have good posture) is an idiom where "carry" is not transporting anything, it refers to how you hold your body and project yourself. A manager might say: "You carry yourself with a lot of confidence." Another interesting idiom: "carry the weight of the world on your shoulders" = to bear all the world's responsibilities.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
She always _____ her grandmother's ring. She never takes it off.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
Could you _____ these bags to the car? I can't manage them all by myself.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
One moves something toward you, the other moves it away from you.
"Job" is a specific position or employment; "work" is the general activity of working.
"Above" is at a higher level without contact; "over" implies covering, movement, or crossing.
'Currently' means 'at the present time'; 'actually' means 'in reality', not 'nowadays'.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy