ESEN
Which one to use?Beginnernounnoun
FlourvsFlower
'Flour' is the ground grain used in baking; 'flower' is the colourful bloom of a plant.
Side-by-side comparison
Flour
noun"Flour" is the powder made by grinding cereal grains, used for making bread, cakes, and pasta.
Add two cups of flour to the mixing bowl.
Gluten-free flour is made from rice or almonds.
She dusted the work surface with flour before rolling the dough.
Flower
noun"Flower" is the bloom of a plant. Also the verb to bloom: "The garden flowers in spring" = the garden blooms in spring.
He brought her a bouquet of yellow flowers.
The cherry trees flower every spring.
Each flower in the garden was a different variety of rose.
Common mistake
- •"I bought some flower to bake bread" is wrong: the baking ingredient is "flour".
- •"The garden is full of flour" is also wrong: the plants have "flowers".
Trick to remember it
- •"Flour" contains "four": baking often involves precise measurements, like four cups.
- •"Flower" contains "flow": flowers flow and bloom in the breeze.
Quick rule
- •Is it a baking ingredient? "Flour".
- •Is it the blooming part of a plant? "Flower".
Did you know?
"Flour" and "flower" are etymologically the same word. In the Middle Ages, "flower of wheat" meant the finest, most refined part of the grain, just as the flower is the most beautiful and quintessential part of a plant. Over time the spelling diverged and "flour" specialized into the culinary ingredient. This is also the root of Spanish "flor" and French "fleur" (preserved in English in "fleur-de-lis"). The culinary "flour" and the botanical "flower" share the same poetic origin.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
She bought a beautiful bunch of _____ s at the market for the dining table.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The recipe calls for 200 grams of _____. Mix it with butter and sugar.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
AcceptvsExcept
One means to receive or agree to something, the other means to exclude or not include.
AdvicevsAdvise
'Advice' is the guidance you receive (noun); 'advise' is the act of giving that guidance (verb).
AffectvsEffect
'Affect' is the verb meaning to influence something; 'effect' is the noun meaning result or consequence.
AislevsIsle
'Aisle' is the walkway between rows of seats or shelves; 'isle' is a small island.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy