‘Peace’ vs ‘piece’: What’s the difference? Sometimes words trick us when they sound the same out loud but look different on paper. In this article, we’ll give you the tools to navigate words like ‘peace’ vs ‘piece’ and teach you some new vocabulary along the way.
Are you in a rush? Here’s a quick preview of what you’ll learn:
- ‘Peace’ is a word that refers to freedom from disorder or being tranquil
- ‘Piece’ is a word that refers to a portion or slice of an object
Breaking Down Homophones: What Are They?
Before diving into the difference between ‘peace’ vs ‘piece’, let’s learn a bit more about why they’re often confused. The main reason is that these two words are homophones:
- Homophones are pairs or sets of words that are pronounced the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings
Homophones exist because we have a limited number of sounds in the English language, so when we combine them in different ways, they can still have the same pronunciation.
- For example, the letter “a” can be tall as in “apple,” wide as in “play,” or deep and round as in “hall.” But notice that those different sounds are all denoted by the same letter.
Some other examples of homophones are:
These words can be tricky to tackle without proper context, but there are tools we can use to differentiate the words. Let’s learn more about these tools as we take a look at ‘Peace’ vs ‘Piece.’
What’s the Difference Between ‘Peace’ vs ‘Piece’?
So, as mentioned above, these words obviously have different spellings and different meanings, and we can use those to our advantage when coming up with memory clues. One of the things we can do is use spelling to our advantage.
- For example, ‘Peace’ is a concept that involves serenity and agreeableness, typically between many people or countries. So, we can think of the saying, “There's no ‘I’ in team,” like there’s no ‘I’ in ‘Peace.’
The letter ‘i’ is, of course, present in the word ‘Piece’ however, which helps us remember not only that ‘Peace’ is a more universal and communal thing, but also that a ‘Piece’ is a part of a larger whole.
- So just like ‘I’ am an individual, ‘Piece’ spelled with an ‘I’ represents an individual part.
Of course, the best way to understand these new words fully is by understanding their definitions and how they work in a variety of contexts. So, let’s take a closer look individually at the meanings of ‘Peace’ vs ‘Piece.’
Definition of ‘Peace’: What Does it Mean?
According to Oxford Languages, ‘Peace’ is a noun that means:
- Freedom from disturbance; tranquility
- “You can while away an hour in peace and seclusion.”
- Mental calm; serenity
- “The peace of mind this insurance gives you.”
- A state or period in which there is no war or a war has ended
- “The Straits were to be open to warships in time of peace.”
- A treat agreeing to the cessation of war between warring states
- “Support for a negotiated peace.”
- Freedom from civil disorder
- “Police took action to restore peace.”
- Freedom from dispute or dissension between individuals or groups
- “The 8.8 percent offer that promises peace with the board.”
- A ceremonial handshake or kiss exchanged during a service in some Churches (now usually only in the Eucharist) symbolizes Christian love and unity
As a verb, ‘Peace’ can also mean:
- (informal) to leave
- “It was time for them to peace out.”
Finally, as an exclamation, ‘Peace’ can be:
- Used as a friendly greeting
- Used to express good wishes on parting
- Used as an order to remain silent
Synonyms of ‘Peace’
- Tranquility
- Calm
- Harmony
- Serenity
- Accord
- Unity
- Equanimity
- Lull
- Reconciliation
- Truce
- Armistice
- Order
Antonyms of ‘Peace’
- Disagreement
- Hatred
- Discord
- Disharmony
- Distress
- Fighting
- War
- Agitation
- Disturbance
- Noise
- Upset
Phrases with ‘Peace’
- Peace out
- Peace be with you
- Rest in peace
- Be at peace
- Hold your peace
- Keep the peace
- War and peace
- Peace and quiet
- Peace and love
- Peace of mind
Definition of ‘Piece’: What Does it Mean?
According to Oxford Languages, ‘Piece’ is a noun that means:
- A portion of an object or of material produced by cutting, tearing, or breaking the whole
- One of the items that were put together to make something and into which it naturally divides
- An item of a particular type, especially one forming one of a set
- An instance or example
- “A crucial piece of evidence.”
- A financial share
- “Each employee owns a piece of the company.”
- A written, musical, or artistic creation or composition
- “A hauntingly beautiful piece of music.”
- A figure or token used to make moves in a board game
- “The king is the most important piece in chess.”
As a verb, the word ‘Piece’ can also mean:
- Assemble something from individual parts
- “The kids took turns piecing together the puzzle.”
- Slowly make sense of something from separate facts and pieces of evidence
- “He had pieced the story together from the radio.”
Synonyms of ‘Piece’
- Bit
- Section
- Slice
- Chunk
- Segment
- Lump
- Hunk
- Wedge
- Slab
- Put together
- Assemble
- Compose
- Construct
- Fit together
- Join
Antonyms of ‘Piece’
- Entirety
- Unit
- Entity
- Whole
- Disperse
- Scatter
- Break
- Damage
- Destroy
- Divide
Phrases with ‘Piece’
- Piece by piece
- A million pieces
- Piece of my heart
- Go to pieces
- In one piece
- Fall to pieces
- Famous piece
- Piece of the puzzle
Pronunciations: How to Pronounce ‘Peace’ vs ‘Piece’
The beauty of homophones is that although their meanings can be confusing when learning to say them aloud, you get two words for the price of one. Follow the guides below to get a better understanding of how to properly pronounce these words.
Use this phonetic spelling of ‘peace’ and ‘piece’ as a guide:
- ‘Pee-ss’ (note that in both spellings, the ‘ee’ sound is most important, and the ‘c’ is hard, like in “geese”)
How to Use ‘Peace’ vs ‘Piece’ in a Sentence
The final step to mastering new vocabulary is feeling confident using the words on your own terms. With homophones, it is especially important to match the correct spelling of the word to its proper context. So, use the sample sentences below to show you some ways in which ‘peace’ vs ‘piece’ can appear in the real world.
‘Peace’ Example Sentences
- He had finally made peace with the messy breakup when his ex decided to text him and ask how he was doing.
- The Treaty of Versailles was the peace agreement famously signed at the end of World War One.
- Many parents use phone tracking apps to have peace of mind when their kids are out of the house.
- It's been amazing catching up with you guys, but I’ve got work to finish, so it’s time for me to get my peace out.
‘Piece’ Example Sentences
- She was determined to build her new furniture by herself, but some of the pieces were too heavy to move alone.
- The band had secretly rehearsed a surprise piece for their concert as a tribute to their conductor.
- When she left him, it felt like a piece of his heart had broken off and left with her.
- At the last minute, the detective discovered a new piece of evidence that tied the whole case together.
‘Peace’ vs ‘Piece’ Example Sentences
- The musicians played a lovely piece of music at the funeral that was entitled ‘Rest in Peace’.
- He finally felt inner peace after he pieced together the last bits of information he needed to solve the mystery.
Final Words on ‘Peace’ vs ‘Piece’
When words sound the same but have different definitions, they can be hard to identify without context. But this article has given you the tools to use spellings to give you clues and navigate using and pronouncing new words.
Need a little review? Here’s a recap of what we covered:
- Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings and are spelled differently.
- ‘Peace’ is a noun that means tranquility, serenity, and freedom from disturbance.
- ‘Piece’ is a noun that refers to a part or section of a larger whole.
Want to learn more about homophones? Be sure to check out other confusing word articles that detail a bunch of homophone pairs and teach you how to tell them apart using context clues. They will also help you expand your vocabulary so you can identify homophones with ease.
