'Morning' is the early part of the day; 'mourning' is grief or the period of sorrow after a loss.
Noun. The part of the day from sunrise to noon.
The morning meeting starts at eight sharp.
She goes for a run every morning before work.
Good morning! How was your weekend?
Noun/verb. The expression of deep grief after a loss. The state of sorrow following a death.
The country observed three days of mourning after the disaster.
She was still in mourning for her father a year later.
The black clothing was a traditional sign of mourning.
Common mistake
Confusing them because they sound nearly identical. Classic mistake: "She was in morning for weeks" (correct: mourning). The context usually clarifies which word is needed.
Trick to remember it
'Morning' has 'morn' — the early light. 'Mourning' has 'mourn' — to feel grief. The extra U in 'mourn' looks like a teardrop shape, reminding you of sadness.
Quick rule
Is it the early part of the day? 'Morning'. Is it grief or sorrow after a loss? 'Mourning' — it contains the verb 'mourn'.
Did you know?
The expression 'good morning' comes from Old English 'god morwen', meaning roughly 'may God guide your morning'. Over centuries 'god' shifted to 'good' and lost its religious meaning, becoming a general greeting.
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
The nation entered a period of _____ after the death of the former president.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
Tomorrow's _____ briefing has been moved from nine to ten o'clock.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Is it the early part of the day? 'Morning'. Is it grief or sorrow after a loss? 'Mourning' — it contains the verb 'mourn'.
Confusing them because they sound nearly identical. Classic mistake: "She was in morning for weeks" (correct: mourning). The context usually clarifies which word is needed.
'Morning' has 'morn' — the early light. 'Mourning' has 'mourn' — to feel grief. The extra U in 'mourn' looks like a teardrop shape, reminding you of sadness.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy