'Week' is the seven-day period; 'weak' means lacking strength or intensity.
Noun. A period of seven days, usually from Monday to Sunday.
The project deadline is next week.
She works four days a week from home.
This week has been extremely stressful.
Adjective. Lacking physical strength, power, conviction, or intensity.
After the flu, she felt too weak to walk.
The argument was weak and failed to convince the panel.
His weak handshake made a poor first impression.
Common mistake
Mixing them up in fast messages: "I've had a really weak" (meaning week) or "The signal is very week" (correct: weak).
Trick to remember it
'Week' has a double E — think of the two days of the weekend (Saturday and Sunday). 'Weak' has an A like 'ailing' — when you are weak you may feel unwell.
Quick rule
Are you talking about days or time? 'Week'. Are you talking about lack of strength or power? 'Weak'.
Did you know?
The English day names come from Norse and Roman deities: Monday (Moon), Tuesday (Tyr), Wednesday (Woden/Odin), Thursday (Thor), Friday (Frigg/Freya), Saturday (Saturn), Sunday (Sun).
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
After three days without eating, he was too _____ to stand up.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The conference takes place once a _____ every Tuesday morning.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Are you talking about days or time? 'Week'. Are you talking about lack of strength or power? 'Weak'.
Mixing them up in fast messages: "I've had a really weak" (meaning week) or "The signal is very week" (correct: weak).
'Week' has a double E — think of the two days of the weekend (Saturday and Sunday). 'Weak' has an A like 'ailing' — when you are weak you may feel unwell.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy