'Feat' is an impressive achievement or act; 'feet' is the plural of 'foot' (body part or unit of measurement).
Noun. An act or achievement that requires great skill, courage, or strength. A remarkable accomplishment.
Climbing Everest solo is an extraordinary feat of endurance.
Finishing the app in one weekend was no small feat.
The engineer performed a remarkable feat by solving the problem overnight.
Noun. Plural of foot. The body parts at the end of the legs. Also the imperial unit of length equal to 30.48 cm.
My feet hurt after standing for eight hours at the trade show.
The ceilings in that office are over twelve feet high.
She hit the ground running — literally got back on her feet in days.
Common mistake
"That was an amazing feet" when describing an achievement (correct: feat). Or "Walking barefoot is no easy feat" — actually correct! The word 'feat' in expressions like 'no easy feat' confuses many.
Trick to remember it
'Feat' contains an A — like 'brAve', 'grEAt', 'Act' — words about doing something impressive. 'Feet' has double E — one E for each foot.
Quick rule
Is it an achievement or impressive act? 'Feat'. Are they body parts or units of measurement? 'Feet'.
Did you know?
'No mean feat' is an elegant double negative: 'mean' here means 'ordinary' or 'insignificant' (an archaic use), so 'no mean feat' = 'not an ordinary achievement' = something impressive. This same 'mean' appears in 'no mean city' (a great city). Shakespeare used 'mean' in this sense frequently — it is one of the oldest meanings of the word, predating 'unkind'.
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
Running a marathon at age sixty is no small _____ and deserves recognition.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The room is exactly twenty _____ wide — wide enough for the conference table.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Is it an achievement or impressive act? 'Feat'. Are they body parts or units of measurement? 'Feet'.
"That was an amazing feet" when describing an achievement (correct: feat). Or "Walking barefoot is no easy feat" — actually correct! The word 'feat' in expressions like 'no easy feat' confuses many.
'Feat' contains an A — like 'brAve', 'grEAt', 'Act' — words about doing something impressive. 'Feet' has double E — one E for each foot.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy