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'Mane' is the long hair on a horse's or lion's neck; 'main' means principal or most important.
Side-by-side comparison
"Mane" is the long hair growing on the neck and head of a horse, or around the face of a lion. It can also describe a person's thick, flowing hair.
The horse had a thick, dark mane that blew in the wind as it galloped.
The lion's golden mane was a sign of its age and dominance.
She braided the pony's mane before the competition.
"Main" means chief or most important: the central element. "The main idea" = the central idea. Also a main pipe or cable for water or gas supply.
What is the main point you want to make in this presentation?
The main road through the town was closed for repairs all weekend.
Workers were repairing a burst water main in the city centre.
Common mistake
Spell-check will not catch this one, because both are real words: "The mane reason I called" passes the check but is wrong. For the main reason, idea or street, it is always "main".
Trick to remember it
- •"Mane" ends in ANE like "lane", the lane the horse gallops down.
- •"Main" ends in AIN like "train" and "brain", central, connected things.
Quick rule
- •Is it the animal's long neck hair? "Mane".
- •Is it the adjective meaning principal or most important? "Main".
Did you know?
The lion's mane is unique in the animal kingdom: only males develop it, and its size and darkness are direct indicators of health and testosterone levels. Darker, fuller manes signal more dominant and healthy males, and females prefer them as mates. The lions of Tsavo in Kenya are famous for being maneless, scientists debate whether this is an adaptation to extreme heat, to the thorny brush that would damage it, or to frequent fighting. "Mane" in English comes from Old English "manu," the same Germanic root as German "Mähne."
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
The lion shook its thick _____ as it stood up slowly.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The _____ reason she moved abroad was to improve her English.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
One means to receive or agree to something, the other means to exclude or not include.
'Advice' is the guidance you receive (noun); 'advise' is the act of giving that guidance (verb).
'Affect' is the verb meaning to influence something; 'effect' is the noun meaning result or consequence.
'Aisle' is the walkway between rows of seats or shelves; 'isle' is a small island.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy