ESEN
Which one to use?Beginnernumeral / pronounverb (past tense)
OnevsWon
'One' is the number 1 or an impersonal pronoun; 'won' is the past tense of 'to win'.
Side-by-side comparison
One
numeral / pronoun"One" is the number 1, but also the impersonal pronoun equivalent to "you" in general statements. "One should be careful" = a person should be careful. Pronounced like "won".
We only need one more signature to finalize the agreement.
One must always read the fine print before signing.
One of the candidates was significantly more qualified.
Won
verb (past tense)"Won" is the past tense of "win": you were victorious in a competition, prize, or battle. "She won the race" = she finished first. Pronounced exactly like "one".
Our team won the regional sales competition last quarter.
She won three awards at the ceremony last night.
They won the contract after a very competitive bidding process.
Common mistake
"We one the game last night" is wrong: the past of to win is "won." "One" is the number 1 or the impersonal pronoun. They are perfect homophones.
Trick to remember it
- •"Won" starts with W, the same W as "win." It won because it won.
- •"One" starts with O for the shape of the digit.
Quick rule
- •Is it the number 1 or the impersonal pronoun? "One".
- •Is it the past of to win? "Won".
Did you know?
The pronunciation of ONE is one of English's great mysteries: it is said /wʌn/ with a W that is not in the spelling. In Old English, the word was "an" or "ane", no W. Over time, speakers began gliding into the vowel /ʌ/ with a /w/ sound for ease of articulation, but the spelling never reflected that change. ONCE (/wʌns/) and ONWARD have the same unusual pronunciation. It is one of the clearest cases of a divergence between writing and pronunciation producing unexpected homophony. ONE and WON are identical in sound for completely different historical reasons.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
She _____ the competition after practising every day for six months.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
I need _____ ticket, please. Just for myself.
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