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'Pain' is physical or emotional suffering; 'pane' is a sheet of glass in a window.
Side-by-side comparison
"Pain" is the unpleasant feeling caused by physical damage or emotional distress. "I'm in pain" = I am hurting. "Growing pains" = literal or metaphorical difficulties in a growth process.
The patient described a sharp pain in her lower back.
Losing the contract caused significant pain for the whole team.
She took a painkiller and rested for the afternoon.
"Pane" is a single flat sheet of glass in a window or door. "A broken window pane" = a shattered piece of glass in a window frame. Pronounced the same as "pain".
A stone cracked the front pane of the window.
Double-pane windows reduce noise and improve insulation.
The glazier replaced the broken pane in under an hour.
Common mistake
- •"The pane in my knee is unbearable" when meaning suffering is wrong (correct: pain).
- •And writing "pain" when meaning a sheet of window glass is wrong (correct: pane).
Trick to remember it
- •"Pain" has AI, think of "ailing." When something ails you, you feel pain.
- •"Pane" sounds like "plain", a plain, flat sheet of glass.
Quick rule
- •Is it suffering or physical/emotional discomfort? "Pain".
- •Is it a flat sheet of glass in a window? "Pane".
Did you know?
PANE comes from Latin "pannus" (cloth, piece), the same root as "panel." A PANE is literally a "piece" of something, originally of wood or cloth, later of glass. That same Latin root "poena" gives English "penal," "penalty," and "penitentiary." Historically, pain and punishment were conceptually linked in the medieval mind.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
He broke a _____ of glass in the back door when he slipped on the steps.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
She felt a sharp _____ in her knee when she stood up quickly.
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