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'Medal' is the award given in competitions; 'meddle' means to interfere in other people's business.
Side-by-side comparison
"Medal" is the metal disc awarded as a prize in a competition or in recognition of an achievement. "Win a gold medal" = earn first place in a competition.
She won a gold medal at the national swimming championships.
The soldier received a medal for bravery during the operation.
Olympic medals are made of silver with a gold coating.
"Meddle" is the verb to interfere in other people's affairs without being asked. "Don't meddle in my affairs" = stay out of my business. "Meddlesome" = someone who constantly interferes.
Please don't meddle in the negotiation, let the team handle it.
She always meddled in her colleagues' projects without being asked.
Stop meddling and let the process run its course.
Common mistake
"She won a meddle for her research" looks like a simple typo, but it changes the meaning completely. A prize is worn on the chest: medal. Interfering is a verb, with a double D: meddle.
Trick to remember it
- •"Medal" ends in AL like "metal" and "oval", the shape and material of an award.
- •"Meddle" ends in DLE like "muddle" and "fiddle", messy, tangled interference.
Quick rule
- •Is it the metal award from a competition? "Medal".
- •Is it the verb to interfere? "Meddle".
Did you know?
MEDDLE and MEDLEY (the combined swimming stroke) share the same Latin root: "misculare" (to mix). A medley swimmer combines four strokes; someone who meddles mixes into affairs that are not theirs. MEDAL, however, comes from a completely different root: Latin "metallum" (metal). The three words. MEDAL, MEDDLE, MEDLEY, sound similar but have entirely different origins: one is about metal, two are about mixing. At the Olympics, medley swimmers compete for medals, a phonetic coincidence that has nothing to do with etymology.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
She won a gold _____ at the national swimming championship.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
Please don't _____ in my affairs. I can handle it myself.
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