ESEN
Which one to use?Beginneradjective / nounnoun
WholevsHole
'Whole' means complete or entire; 'hole' is an opening or gap.
Side-by-side comparison
Whole
adjective / noun"Whole" means complete or entire, with nothing missing. "The whole class" = every student in the class. "Whole milk" = full-fat milk. "As a whole" = considered all together.
She ate the whole pizza by herself.
The whole team celebrated the victory.
We spent the whole afternoon reviewing the contract.
Hole
noun"Hole" is an opening or empty space in a surface or material. "A hole in the wall" = an opening through the wall. "Pothole" = a hollow dip in a road surface.
There is a hole in my shoe.
The workers dug a hole to lay the new pipes.
A black hole is a region of space with extreme gravity.
Common mistake
- •Writing "whole" when talking about a gap: "There is a whole in the wall" (correct: hole).
- •The silent W in "whole" catches learners off guard.
Trick to remember it
- •"Whole" has a silent W like "wrap" or "wrist", the extra letter signals something complete and full.
- •"Hole" is shorter because it is empty.
Quick rule
- •Is it full and complete? "Whole" (with W).
- •Is it the empty space or gap? "Hole" (without W).
Did you know?
The expression "the whole nine yards" (meaning everything, completely) has an origin that linguists have debated for decades. Among the most popular theories: it refers to the nine yards of fabric needed for a complete Scottish suit, or to the capacity of cement trucks (9 cubic yards), or to the length of ammunition belts in World War II aircraft machine guns. None of these theories has been verified historically with solid documentary evidence, the true origin of the expression remains a linguistic mystery.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
There's a _____ in my sock. I'll have to throw it away.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
I read the _____ book in one sitting. It was impossible to put down.
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