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'Morning' is the early part of the day; 'mourning' is grief or the period of sorrow after a loss.
Side-by-side comparison
"Morning" is the part of the day from sunrise to noon. "Good morning" = a greeting in the first part of the day. "In the morning" = during that period.
The morning meeting starts at eight sharp.
She goes for a run every morning before work.
Good morning! How was your weekend?
"Mourning" is the expression of deep grief after someone's death. "In mourning" = in a state of grief. It is pronounced the same as "morning".
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
- •"She was in morning for weeks" when meaning grief is wrong (correct: mourning).
- •"Morning" is the early part of the day.
- •"Mourning" contains the verb "mourn" (to grieve).
Trick to remember it
- •"Morning" has "morn", the early light.
- •"Mourning" contains "mourn", to feel grief.
- •Find "mourn" inside the word and you know it is about sadness.
Quick rule
- •Is it the early part of the day? "Morning".
- •Is it grief or sorrow after a loss? "Mourning" (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 time, "god" shifted to "good" and lost its religious meaning, becoming a neutral greeting. The verb MOURN comes from Old English "murnan" (to lament, to be anxious) and is related to German "sorgen" (to worry) and Greek "merimna" (anxiety). The formal mourning periods in Victorian and Edwardian culture included wearing black for months or years: "mourning dress" was a complex social code that indicated exactly how much time had passed since the death of a family member.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
She woke up early every _____ and went for a run before breakfast.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The whole town was in _____ after the sudden death of the mayor.
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