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'Funny' has two meanings: amusing and strange; 'weird' means only strange.
Side-by-side comparison
Meaning 1: amusing, humorous (makes you laugh). Meaning 2: strange, odd (does not seem normal). Context decides which one.
That comedian is so funny. I laughed the entire show.
That is funny. I could have sworn I left my keys on the table.
She has a funny way of pronouncing certain words. Where did she grow up?
Strange, odd, peculiar. Something that does not fit with what is normal or expected. Always means "strange", never "amusing".
It is weird how quiet the city is today. Normally it is packed.
He has some weird habits, like eating cereal with orange juice instead of milk.
There is a weird noise coming from the engine. We should check it out.
Common mistake
"Funny" has two meanings: amusing (makes you laugh) and strange/odd. "That's funny..." in a serious tone does not mean it is amusing: it means it is strange. To avoid ambiguity, use "weird" or "strange" when you mean strange. Never use "weird" to mean amusing.
Trick to remember it
- •Does "funny" appear with laughter, jokes, or comedians? Amusing.
- •Does "funny" appear with something unexpected or that does not add up? Strange.
- •"Weird" is always safe when you mean strange: it has no ambiguous second meaning.
Quick rule
- •"Funny" = amusing OR strange (context decides).
- •"Weird" = strange (that meaning only).
Did you know?
"Funny" has a third meaning in informal English: feeling slightly unwell or off. "I feel a bit funny" = I feel a bit odd / not quite right. Also: "Funny you should say that..." (what a coincidence that you say that) uses "funny" in the sense of surprising or unexpected. Three meanings for one word, amusing, strange, and feeling unwell, all perfectly natural in everyday English.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
Something _____ happened to me today. I found a shoe in the middle of the road. Just one shoe.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
He told a really _____ story about his cat. We couldn't stop laughing.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
One describes something enjoyable, the other describes something that makes you laugh.
One is an event that made history, the other simply belongs to the past.
'Sensible' means practical and reasonable; 'sensitive' means easily affected or hurt, in feelings or physically.
"Above" is at a higher level without contact; "over" implies covering, movement, or crossing.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy