ESEN
Which one to use?Intermediatenounadjective / noun
MinervsMinor
'Miner' is a person who works in a mine extracting minerals; 'minor' means small, less important, or a person under legal age.
Side-by-side comparison
Miner
noun"Miner" is the worker who extracts coal, minerals, or metals from the earth. Also a computer program that generates cryptocurrency: "crypto miner".
The coal miner worked twelve-hour shifts, six days a week, deep underground.
Forty-seven miners were trapped after the tunnel collapse and rescued two days later.
Bitcoin miners use specialised hardware to solve complex algorithms and earn rewards.
Minor
adjective / noun"Minor" means of lesser importance, size, or degree. Also a person under the legal age of majority, a musical minor key, or a secondary field of study at university.
The delay was a minor inconvenience, it did not affect the final outcome.
Alcohol may not be sold to minors under any circumstances.
She studied economics as her major and data science as her minor.
Common mistake
- •"A coal minor" is wrong: the person who works in a mine is "miner".
- •"Minor" is the adjective for lesser importance or the underage person (minors).
- •The -ER ending in "miner" marks it as an occupation.
Trick to remember it
- •"Miner" ends in ER like "worker", "builder", "farmer", a person who does something.
- •"Minor" ends in OR like "major" (its opposite), an adjective or status.
Quick rule
- •Is it the person who works in a mine? "Miner".
- •Is it the adjective for lesser importance or the underage person? "Minor".
Did you know?
The rescue of the 33 Chilean miners in 2010 was watched live by over a billion people, one of the most-viewed events in television history. The miners were trapped 69 days at 700 meters deep. MINOR in music describes scales and chords that sound darker or more melancholic than major, the "minor mode" is fundamental to flamenco, blues, and jazz. The words MINOR and MAJOR come from Latin "minor" (smaller) and "maior" (larger), the same root as "minimum," "miniature," "majority," and "major."
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
She's still a _____ , so she can't vote or buy alcohol yet.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The _____ s went deep underground every morning to dig for coal.
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