ESEN
Which one to use?Intermediatepronounnoun
HimvsHymn
'Him' is the objective case of 'he'; 'hymn' is a religious song of praise.
Side-by-side comparison
Him
pronoun"Him" is the object pronoun form of "he". "I saw him" = I saw that person. "Give it to him" = give it to that male person.
Give him the contract, he needs to review it before Thursday.
She recognised him from the company conference last year.
Between you and him, who has more experience in the field?
Hymn
noun"Hymn" is a religious song of praise, or any solemn song dedicated to an ideal or cause. It is pronounced the same as "him".
The congregation sang a traditional hymn at the beginning of the service.
The famous hymn "Amazing Grace" was written in 1772.
She hummed a childhood hymn quietly to herself during the difficult meeting.
Common mistake
- •"Tell hymn I called" when meaning the pronoun is wrong: the masculine object pronoun is "him".
- •"Hymn" is the religious song with a silent N.
Trick to remember it
- •"Him" has three letters, short like a quick pronoun.
- •"Hymn" has a silent N like "damn", "column", "solemn": words associated with formal or sacred contexts.
Quick rule
- •Is it the masculine object pronoun? "Him".
- •Is it the religious song of praise? "Hymn".
Did you know?
The silent N in "hymn" was not always silent, in Old English it was pronounced. It resurfaces when the word extends: "hymns", "hymnal", "hymnody." This is called a latent consonant: silent in the base form but audible in derivatives. The same pattern: "damn" (silent N) vs "damnation" (N pronounced), "solemn" vs "solemnity." The most famous hymn in English, "Amazing Grace," was written in 1772 by John Newton, a former slave ship captain who converted to Christianity and became a passionate abolitionist. The song became an anthem of the American civil rights movement in the 1960s.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
The congregation sang a beautiful _____ at the end of the service.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
Have you seen Carlos? I need to speak to _____.
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