One is an arid landscape, the other is a sweet treat.
Noun: a dry, arid land with very little rain. Also a verb meaning to abandon someone.
The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world.
El Sahara es el desierto caliente más grande del mundo.
They got lost in the desert for three days.
Se perdieron en el desierto por tres días.
Many animals adapt to desert conditions.
Muchos animales se adaptan a las condiciones del desierto.
Noun. The sweet food eaten at the end of a meal.
What would you like for dessert?
¿Qué te gustaría de postre?
The chocolate cake was the best dessert I have ever had.
La torta de chocolate fue el mejor postre que he probado.
We skipped dessert because we were too full.
Nos saltamos el postre porque estábamos muy llenos.
Common mistake
Writing 'desert' when you mean 'dessert'. Wrong: "Can I have a piece of desert?" (correct: dessert)
Trick to remember it
'Dessert' has two S's because it is So Sweet and you always want Second helpings. 'Desert' has one S because it is lonely and sparse, just like a real desert.
Quick rule
Talking about a sweet food at the end of a meal? Use 'dessert' (two S's). Talking about arid land or abandoning someone? Use 'desert' (one S).
Did you know?
'Desserts' spelled backwards is 'stressed'. This little palindrome has circulated on the internet for decades, and somehow makes both words easier to remember.
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
What would you like for ____?
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The camel is perfectly adapted to life in the ____.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Talking about a sweet food at the end of a meal? Use 'dessert' (two S's). Talking about arid land or abandoning someone? Use 'desert' (one S).
Writing 'desert' when you mean 'dessert'. Wrong: "Can I have a piece of desert?" (correct: dessert)
'Dessert' has two S's because it is So Sweet and you always want Second helpings. 'Desert' has one S because it is lonely and sparse, just like a real desert.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy