‘Flaunt’ vs ‘Flout’: What’s the difference? The English language has a variety of instances where words can look and sound similar, making them more easily confused. Getting words mixed up is natural, but the more we learn about them, the less likely we are to make mistakes in the future. Below you’ll find our guide to helping you avoid these mistakes.
In a rush? Here’s a short preview of what’s to come:
When the words we’re learning are similar in both spelling and pronunciation, they are much more commonly confused. So what are some clues that may help begin to tell them apart? Since both words are verbs, we can’t rely on parts of speech as hints, but there are other clues.
An interesting way to think about these words is that they are not entirely opposites but that one is a reaction to the other. In this case, ‘Flouting’ is a reaction to ‘Flaunting.’ ‘Flout’ means to show disdain toward someone, and ‘Flaunt’ means to parade and boast excessively.
So why would we care about this thought process, and how do we use this logic to help us learn more about these words? While it may seem simple, we can use the alphabet to our advantage here.
When we learn how words interact with each other, that can occasionally be the best way to find out how they work individually. In this case, we see how ‘Flaunt’ vs ‘Flout’ differ because of how they interact while not overlapping with each other.
There is, of course, much more to learn than how words interact, so let’s take a closer look individually at the meanings of ‘Flaunt’ vs ‘Flout.’
According to the Dictionary, ‘Flaunt’ is a verb that means:
As a noun, the word ‘Flaunt’ can also mean:
While the official origin of the word is unknown, many suspect it comes from the Germanic and Norwegian ‘flanta’, which means “to show off.”
According to the Dictionary, ‘Flout’ is a verb which means:
As a noun, the word ‘Flout’ also means:
We don’t only use words in writing; we use them to communicate in conversation as well. And, with words that sound similar and have similar spelling, knowing how to pronounce them properly is very important. Speaking clearly can be the key to others understanding you and following your meaning, so let’s make sure you’re confident in saying ‘Flaunt’ vs ‘Flout’ correctly.
Use this phonetic spelling of ‘Flaunt’ as a guide:
Use this phonetic spelling of ‘Flout’ as a guide:
The final major step to learning new words is actually being able to use them because what good is memorizing definitions and pronunciations if you don’t feel confident actually saying and using the word? Knowing how words function in sentences and being able to put them in the right context is key to mastering new vocabulary.
Below you’ll find sample sentences using ‘Flaunt’ vs ‘Flout’ that you can use as reference, then you can try writing your own sentences to practice understanding context clues.
English has a habit of constructing similar words that overlap or interact just enough to be commonly mixed up. This can be very frustrating when trying to learn new vocabulary, but we hope this article has shown that breaking down the learning process is much more manageable. Words like ‘Flaunt’ vs ‘Flout’ can seem tricky at first, but when you see how they interact and relate, then focus on how they differ, you can master them individually and as a pair.
Want a review? Here’s a quick recap of what was covered:
Interested in further expanding your vocabulary? Be sure to check out other confusing words to learn more tips and tricks for tackling difficult words. Remember that context is crucial, and careful pronunciation can be the key to effective communication.
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