ESEN
Which one to use?Beginnernounadjective
WeekvsWeak
'Week' is the seven-day period; 'weak' means lacking strength or intensity.
Side-by-side comparison
Week
noun"Week" is a period of seven consecutive days. "Last week" = the seven days just passed. "Once a week" = on one occasion in every seven days. "Weekday" = a working day.
The project deadline is next week.
She works four days a week from home.
This week has been extremely stressful.
Weak
adjective"Weak" describes something or someone lacking strength, power, or conviction. "A weak signal" = low signal strength. "A weak argument" = one that is difficult to defend.
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" when meaning the time period (correct: week).
- •Or "The signal is very week" (correct: weak).
Trick to remember it
- •"Week" has 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 are all of mythological origin, a blend of Roman and Norse deities. Monday = Moon's day. Tuesday = Tyr's day (Norse god of war). Wednesday = Woden's day (Odin). Thursday = Thor's day (god of thunder). Friday = Frigg's day or Freya's day (Norse goddesses). Saturday = Saturn's day (Roman). Sunday = Sun's day. This blend of Roman (Saturday/Sunday) and Norse (Tuesday through Friday) mythology reflects the two great cultural influences on Old English.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
She felt very _____ after being ill for a few days. She could barely stand up.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The new season starts next _____ . The first episode airs on Monday.
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