{"id":3296,"date":"2011-12-15T15:41:52","date_gmt":"2011-12-15T07:41:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/?p=3296"},"modified":"2024-01-15T14:24:46","modified_gmt":"2024-01-15T14:24:46","slug":"there-is-a-difference-between-the-words-use-and-utilize-and-you-really-should-know-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/there-is-a-difference-between-the-words-use-and-utilize-and-you-really-should-know-it\/","title":{"rendered":"There is a Difference Between the Words Use and Utilize and you Really Should Know It"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\"Is<\/a>Did you know that there is a distinct difference between the words \u201cuse\u201d and \u201cutilize\u201d?<\/strong> If you do, that’s a bit of a surprise because very few people recognize that the words use<\/em> and utilize<\/em> have two completely different meanings. In fact they are two of the most common mistakes in English<\/a> we come across.<\/p>\n

In practice, the word utilize<\/em> is probably one of the most misunderstood words out there and it is important that you are able to understand why it cannot be used interchangeably for the word use.<\/em><\/p>\n

In this article, we take a close look at use<\/em> and utilize<\/em>, explain the differences between the two words, and give you practical tips to ensure that you never use either of them incorrectly again.<\/p>\n

The definition of use<\/em><\/h3>\n

To use something means to employ it for a given purpose:<\/p>\n

Can I use<\/strong> your car next Monday?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Would you like to use<\/strong> my computer?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Does anyone have a pen I can use<\/strong>?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I really should use<\/strong> my time more wisely.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

The definition of the word utilize<\/em><\/h3>\n

To utilize something is to turn it to a practical use. Hmm, so how is this different from using something? Well, the difference between use<\/em> and utilize<\/em>\u00a0can be found in the purpose for which you are employing something; when you utilize something, you give it a new use that it may not originally have had.<\/p>\n

You can utilize<\/em> Microsoft Word to draw pictures.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Is it possible for me to utilize<\/em> your garage as a storage area during the garden party?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We try to utilize<\/em> as many of our existing tools as possible to create new innovations.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

Choosing between use<\/em> and utilize<\/em><\/h3>\n

It is actually very easy to choose between use<\/em> and utilize<\/em> in your written English. Basically, you need to assess whether the item you are referring to is usually employed in the manner to which you are attributing it.<\/p>\n

For example, you use a pencil to draw, but you do not usually utilize a pencil as a weapon:<\/p>\n

You can use<\/strong> my pencil for the sketch if yours is blunt.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The airport security confiscated her pencil because they were concerned that it may be utilized<\/strong> as a weapon.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

You use a conference room to hold meetings, but you do not usually utilize it for parties.<\/p>\n

Please use<\/strong> the conference room for the team meeting this afternoon.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The restaurant is fully booked so we\u2019ll have to utilize<\/strong> the office conference room for our Christmas party.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The next time you are choosing between the words use<\/em> and utilize<\/em> don\u2019t be tempted to exchange them as synonyms for one another. They mean different things!<\/p>\n

Need help checking your written English? Check out our online proofreading services now.<\/p>\n

Free instant quote<\/strong><\/strong><\/span>
\n<\/a><\/h3>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Did you know that there is a distinct difference between the words \u201cuse\u201d and \u201cutilize\u201d? If you do, that’s a bit of a surprise because very few people recognize that the words use and utilize have two completely different meanings. In fact they are two of the most common mistakes in English we come across. … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3296","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-grammar-guides"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3296","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3296"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3296\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9612,"href":"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3296\/revisions\/9612"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3296"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3296"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vappingo.com\/word-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3296"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}