ESEN
Which one to use?Intermediateadjectivenoun
HoarsevsHorse
'Hoarse' describes a rough, croaky voice; 'horse' is the large four-legged animal.
Side-by-side comparison
Hoarse
adjective"Hoarse" describes a rough, raspy voice, usually from a cold, shouting, or overuse. "She was hoarse after the concert" = her voice was rough and scratchy.
She was so hoarse after the conference that she could barely speak.
His voice went hoarse from cheering at the match all evening.
I have a sore throat and a hoarse voice. I think I am coming down with something.
Horse
noun"Horse" is the large four-legged animal used for riding, work, and racing. It is pronounced exactly the same as "hoarse".
The horse galloped across the open field at full speed.
She has been riding horses since she was seven years old.
Don't put the cart before the horse, plan before you act.
Common mistake
"I am very horse today" when meaning your voice is rough is wrong: the rough or croaky voice quality is "hoarse". "Horse" is the four-legged animal.
Trick to remember it
- •"Hoarse" contains OA like "throat" and "groan": guttural sounds from a rough throat.
- •"Horse" is simpler, just the animal, no extras.
Quick rule
- •Does it describe a rough, croaky voice? "Hoarse".
- •Is it the four-legged animal? "Horse".
Did you know?
"Straight from the horse's mouth" (from the most reliable source) comes from the practice of examining a horse's teeth to determine its true age, the most reliable information came from the animal directly, not the seller. The companion expression: "don't look a gift horse in the mouth", do not scrutinize a gift's defects, because examining a gifted horse's teeth to calculate its value would be rude. Horses give English dozens of idiomatic expressions: "hold your horses" (wait a moment), "dark horse" (unexpected candidate), "horse around" (fool around), "get off your high horse" (stop being arrogant).
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
After cheering at the match for two hours, his voice was completely _____.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
She has been learning to ride a _____ since she was five years old.
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