Wondering whether to spell the phrase ‘in route’ or ‘en route’? You might’ve seen both phrases in your daily life, but which one is correct? And what’s the difference? We’ll answer all of this in detail, plus teach you how to use the correct version in a sentence.
In short, the difference between ‘in route’ and ‘en route’ is:
The correct spelling of the phrase is ‘en route.’ And it means ‘on the way.’ For example, if someone were to say, “I sent you a package. It’s ‘en route,’” it would mean that the package is on its way to you or that they’ve mailed it out and it’s in transit.
As we mentioned, ‘en route’ is the only correct way to spell the phrase. ‘In route’ is the incorrect way people tend to spell the phrase, but you should avoid it in your writing because it’s incorrect and ungrammatical.
According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of ‘en route’ is on or along the way.
The Cambridge dictionary defines it as on the way to or from somewhere.
For example, if someone is traveling from Paris to South Africa and they are already on the plane, that means they’re currently ‘en route.’
The first known use of the phrase was in 1779, and it meant the same thing it means today.
Wondering how to pronounce the phrase correctly? Here’s a short guide.
It rhymes with words like flute and shoot.
Now that we know what the phrase means and how to pronounce it let’s see some examples of how to use it in a sentence correctly.
To recap, we learned that ‘en route’ is the only correct way to spell the phrase. ‘In route’ is the incorrect way people tend to spell the phrase.
If you ever forget the meaning or how to use it in a sentence, you can always come back for a quick refresher. We’ve also got a ton of other content dedicated to explaining confusing words and phrases in the English language.
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