ESEN
Which one to use?Intermediatenoun / verbverb (past tense)
ScentvsSent
'Scent' is a smell or fragrance; 'sent' is the past tense of 'to send'.
Side-by-side comparison
Scent
noun / verb"Scent" is a pleasant smell or fragrance. "The scent of flowers" = the aroma flowers give off. Also the trail of smell left by an animal that can be tracked.
The scent of fresh coffee filled the office every morning.
The dog followed the scent of the missing hiker for three miles.
The perfume had a delicate scent of jasmine and sandalwood.
Sent
verb (past tense)"Sent" is the past tense and past participle of "send". "She sent me a message" = she transmitted a message to me. Pronounced the same as "scent".
I sent the contract to the client first thing this morning.
She sent a follow-up email after the meeting to summarise the key points.
The report was sent to all department heads simultaneously.
Common mistake
- •"I scent the document yesterday" when meaning dispatched it is wrong (correct: sent).
- •And "The sent of lavender" when meaning fragrance is wrong (correct: scent).
Trick to remember it
- •"Scent" has silent SC like "scene," "science," "scissors", the hidden letters create mystery, like a scent trail.
- •"Sent" is the plain past of "send", no silent letters, clean and direct.
Quick rule
Is it the smell or fragrance? "Scent." Is it the past of to send? "Sent."
Did you know?
Smell is the only sense directly wired to the brain's limbic system (the area controlling emotions and memories) without first passing through the thalamus. All other senses go through the thalamus, which acts as a filter. That is why a SCENT can trigger vivid memories from twenty years ago almost instantly. This phenomenon is called "Proustian memory" after the novelist Marcel Proust, who described how the scent of a small cake dipped in tea unleashed a torrent of childhood memories. SCENT also has a verbal use: "to scent something" can mean to detect a smell or to perfume something.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
The flowers filled the room with a beautiful _____ .
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
She _____ him a card for his birthday through the post.
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