“Are” and “our” are two correctly spelled English words that mean different things. The linking verb “are” is a plural present tense of the term “is.” The word “are” is used to replace the word “is” when the sentence is talking or has switched to a plural topic. On the other hand, the term “our” is a part of an adjective called a determiner. The word “our” is used to indicate that an object belongs or associated with someone. “Our” is used to express someone’s ownership of things such as clothes, gadgets, or houses. There is a common misinterpretation and misuse of “are” and “Our”, especially by non-native English writers. The “are vs. our” difference is mostly highlighted in their meaning, spelling, and usage.
Listed below are the differences between the words “are” and “our”.
- “Are” is used when the subject described in the sentence is in plural form or the sentence is describing more than two entities.
- “Are” is a linking verb used to replace “is.”
- “Are” is a three-letter word spelled starting with the letter “A.”
- “Are” lemmatized version is “be,” while its stemmed versions is “aren’t.”
- “Our” is used to express that the subject involved in the sentence belongs to someone.
- “Our” is a possessive determiner.
- “Our” is commonly associated with a group and describes their ownership of something.
- “Our” is a three-letter word spelled starting with the letter “O.”
- “Our” has no lemmatized version, while its stemmed versions are “ours”
The meaning and context must be looked at in deciding whether to use the words “are” or “our.” The terms “are” and “our” are entirely different from each other, and they serve completely unrelated purposes. The word “are” must be chosen when the writer is aiming to connect the subject and an adjective, when the writer is describing something. On the other hand, the word “our” must be picked if the sentence requires a first person possessive word that acts as a primary indicator that both the writer together or the subject with other people own something. The spelling must not be the only basis as it is a shallow reference. Digging deeper into the essence of “are” and “our” allows one to have a better decision and select the appropriate word to be used in a sentence.
Some examples of the word “are” in a sentence include, “The birds are flying in the sky like airplanes.” “These pairs of shoes are so beautiful yet so expensive.” The usage of the word “are” in these sentences is correct as it was utilized as a “be” verb that links plural clauses. An example of the word “our” in a sentence includes, “The white house with modernized design located near the shore is our home.” Another example of “our” in a sentence is, “The victory in the recent football game belongs to our team.” These sentences used the word “our” as a determiner to express ownership and possession which is entirely accurate to its purpose.
“Why know the difference between “are” and “our” for content writing and marketing?” The difference between the words “are” and “our” must be known to write better content and communicate in a healthier way. The words “are” and “our” are completely similar in terms of pronunciation and being confused between them is highly possible. Content writers are obliged to study the word “are” and “our” to use them properly and avoid misuse. Misusing and interchanging the words “are” and “our” leads to confusion and misinterpretation among readers. Apart from that, content writers are considered to be unprofessional and lack expertise in content writing.
What does “Are” Mean?
The word “are” refers to a plural subject means that a subject is plural and must be connected to the succeeding words in the sentences. “Are” is used to replace “is” whenever the subject has another companion or when it is expressed in a greater number than one. The word “are” originated from the Latin word area which was introduced and first used in 1797. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the definition of the word “are” is “a part of a “be” verb.” The term “word” is a very common English word, mainly because it is used by all writers in constructing their sentences in plural form. It is an important word for the daily lives of people since it allows them to connect the plural phrases into one sentence and convey a complete thought.
What are the Sentence Examples with “Are”?
Listed below are the sentence examples with “Are.”
- “The stars in the sky are stunning.” The “are” in the sentence helps indicate that there is more than one star in the sky. Additionally, it linked the subject “stars” to its adjective “stunning.”
- “The dog and cat are both adorable pets.” The English word “are” in the sentence implies that there is more than one subject in the sentence. The words “dog” and “cat” alone are singular nouns. However, they are connected by the word “and” to indicate that they are both the subject of the sentence. It makes the subject of the sentence plural, one dog and one cat.
- “The ballerinas are dancing gracefully.” The word “are” in the sentence indicates that there is more than one ballerina dancing on the dance floor. Additionally, it linked the subject, “ballerinas,” with another verb, “dancing,” to indicate what the ballerinas are doing.
- “The newly-released smartphones of 2022 are battery-efficient.” The term “are” in the sentence is used to describe the subject, “smartphones.” It means that there is more than one mobile phone being described in the sentence. Additionally, it linked the subject “smartphones” with its adjective “battery-efficient.”
When to Use the Word “Are” in a Sentence?
The word “are” must be used in sentences that discuss plural subjects and topics. The English term “are” is associated with subjects that are two or more since “is” is only applicable for describing one variable. Apart from that, are must be used prior to an adjective, as it links the subject with the descriptive word. For instance, “She is gorgeous.” There are no known synonyms of the word “are” due to the fact that it is only a linking verb. Unlike words such as nouns and adjectives where there are other terms for them that are spelled differently but mean the same thing.
What are the Synonyms of “Are”?
The word “are” does not have any direct or indirect synonym existing in the English vocabulary. It is a word that falls under the category of linking verbs, by which their purpose in a sentence is to link the different words with each other to create a complete sentence. The word “are” stays in the same form regardless of how many repetitions the content writer has made in one particular article. Opposite to other words where it becomes grammatically incorrect when being repeatedly used due to redundancy, the word “are” is allowed to be used multiple times without committing any mistake. “Are” is similar to other linking verbs such as “is,” “was,” “become,” and “were” that do not have any synonyms that associate with them.
What are the Antonyms of “Are”?
There are no antonyms that are made for the word “are.” It is only a word that serves as a connecting structure to two different phrases. Compared to other words that belong under nouns and adjectives, the word “are” has no complete essence or thought. It is a word that does not stand on its own; hence, no other words have a contradictory meaning to them. On top of that, there are no words that have the purpose of disconnecting two plural phrases in a sentence.
How to spell “Are”?
The spelling of the word “are” is “A-R-E.” It is spelled with only three letters. The first letter of the word is “a” followed by the letter “r” and ends with the letter “e.” Some common spellings of the word “are” include “our,” “hour” “ar,” and “r.” The reason for the misspellings is their similar pronunciation. “Are,” “our,” and “hour” are all correct English words but differ in terms of spelling. On the other hand, the words “au-ur” “ar” and “r,” are grammatically correct due to misspellings. The letter “E” on the word “are” is not pronounced, making it seem like it does not even exist in the spelling in the first place. “R” is an internet slang or shortened version of “are” used in casual conversations with other people online.
What are the prepositions and helper words for Are?
Plural nouns are used as the main helper words for “are.” Plural nouns are words indicating more than one person, place, thing, and idea. They are commonly used together with “are” because the noun is connected by the linking verb “are” with other parts of the sentence. A linking verb is a word that describes the subject of the sentence. “Are” is used together with plural nouns because it is a plural linking verb indicating that the subject is more than one. For example, “The cats are playing on the roof.” The word “cats” means there is more than one cat. It is connected with playing by using “are” to tell what the cats are doing. “Are” is going to be replaced by “is” if the subject of the sentence is singular. For example, “The cat is (are) playing on the roof.” The word “cat” is singular; thus, “is,” singular form of “are” is used.” Other helper words for “are” are prepositions, such as “in,” “on,” “at,” and “for.” They are used to determine the time, location, spatial relationships, and places. For example, “The apples are in the fridge.” The “Are” is followed by the preposition “in” indicating that the “apple” is inside the fridge.
What does “Our” Mean?
The word “our” means something belongs or is under the possession of someone. The word “our” is a first-person determiner that is used to refer to the ownership of someone and of other individuals. The origin and etymology of the word our is from Old English “ure” or “us.” It was first used and introduced in the 12th century. The definition of the word “our” in the Oxford English Dictionary is, “belonging to us” or “connected to us.” It is a very common word in the English language since it exists in almost all the contexts of ownership sentences, such as in properties or awards. The word “our” is an important word for the daily lives of each person because it offers a convenient way of expressing belongingness and ownership.
What are the Sentence Examples with “Our”?
Listed below are the sentence examples with “Our.”
- “The wardrobe malfunction from the stage presentation yesterday was our mistake.” “The “Our” in the sentence pertains to the “mistake” being owned by someone, specifically more than one person.
- “Our neighbors were all glad because the typhoon did not hit our hometown.” The “Our” in the sentence pertains to the “hometown” being owned by the citizens. It means that more than one person owns or lives in the “hometown.”
- “The cleaning tools that you used last week belong to our class.” The “Our” in the sentence is used to state that the “class” belongs to the students.
- “Our mom bought us snacks when she arrived from a business trip.” The “Our” is used to imply that the mom is the mother of many children.
When to Use the Word “Our” in a sentence?
The word “our” must be used in sentences together with nouns or pronouns that are subjected to be owned. “Our” is placed in the sentence if the meaning that writers or markets want to deliver is all about possession or ownership. “Our” has no direct synonym, but it is related to the word “My” because they express ownership and possession. However, the first one is plural, and the latter is plural. Meanwhile, “our” must not be used interchangeably with the word ‘Are” due to the differences in meaning. It is going to cause incorrectness in grammar structure. Nonetheless, they are allowed to be used in one sentence. The subject must be in the plural form, and it must be in the ownership or possession of someone to use “are” and “our” in the same sentence. For example, “The pets are a gift from our parents.” First, the “are” is used as a linking verb of the plural subject, “pets.” Second, the “our” is used to imply that the “parents” are the father and mother of the children.
What are the Synonyms of “Our”?
There is no complete and direct similar word that describes the same meaning as the word “our.” However, the word “my” is closely related to the term “our” because it indicates ownership in a similar manner, but only one person owns that particular thing being described. “Our” is the plural form, and “my” is the singular form. The word “my” means only a single person has possession of a particular object. It is used primarily to indicate the property of the person speaking.
What are the Antonyms of “Our”?
There are no antonyms for “our” in the English dictionary. The word “our” has no equivalent word that describes the opposite meaning. However, content writers must use “not” together with “our” when trying to express that something is not a part of someone’s ownership. For example, “It is not our kitchen that is causing the foul odor.” The sentence means that the speaker states that they are not the owner of the foul odor by saying that it is not coming from their kitchen.
What is the plural form of “Our”
The word “our” is already in the plural form. The word “our” refers to ownership by a pair or group of people, and it is considered plural. However, there is a singular form of “our.” The singular form of “our” is the word “my.” The word “my” shows possession similar to the word “our.” The only difference is that “my” means only a single entity owns a certain thing in the sentence.
How to Spell “Our”?
The spelling of the word “our” is “O-U-R.” Its word construction has only three letters. Two of the letters are vowels and only one is a consonant. Some common misspellings of the word “our” are “are” and “hour.” The difference between “our” and “are” is that the misspelling contains both letters “a” and “e” instead of the letter “o” and “u.” Apart from that, the letter “r” in the word “are” is located in the center instead of in the end part. On the other hand, the word “hour” is spelled with an additional letter “h” which makes it a misspelled one. These commonly misspelled words are due to their similar pronunciation to the word “our.”
What are the prepositions and helper words for “Our”?
The only helper words for “our” are plural nouns. “Our” is a possessive determiner to show that something is possessed or owned by more than one person. Most of the time, the sentence does not indicate who “our” is specifically pertaining to. For example, “Our friend is not allowed to come with us to the club.” The “our” in the sentence referred to more than one person. However, it does not specify who are the “our.” It does not answer whether the “our” are adults, teenagers, boys, or girls. All it does is imply that the “friend” is part of a bigger group of people.
Comparison between “Are” and “Our”
The table below shows the comparison between the words “are” and “our.”
| Word | Definition | Context | Forms | Example Sentences |
| Are | The word “are” is the plural present form of the linking verb. | Used to link plural subjects to adjectives and individuals. | Linking Verb | “The kids are playing and eating at the same time.” “The siblings are arguing with one another.” |
| Our | The word “our” is the plural form of the word “my.” | Used to express ownership and possession of something by a group. | Possessive Determine | “We miss our friend who is in Canada.” “Our family always wants to have lunch together every Sunday.” |
Why are “Are” and “Our” misused and interchangeably in English?
The words “are” and “our” are misused and interchanged in English, mainly because they are in the same pronunciation and they both fall under the same three-letter word category. Their similar characteristics made them confusing to some people, especially those who are not experts in using the English language. Non-native English speakers and beginners often think that these words mean the same thing and are just spelled differently. However, these things are completely distinct from each other despite having some similarities. Thus, using them interchangeably results in grammatical errors.
Are “Are” and “Our” in the most commonly misused English words?
Yes, the words “are” and “our” are included in the most commonly misused English words. The terms “are” and “our” are frequently misused English words because of how they look similar to each other. These words are quite confusing and indistinguishable for some people. The letters used, the way of spelling, and the pronunciation contribute to the difficulty in using the words “are” and “our” in a sentence appropriately. People who are not that good at English or not used to doing research are prone to misuse.
What are the other similar Misused Word Pairs like “Our” and “Are” in English?
Listed below are similar misused word pairs like “Our” and “Are” in English.
- Aisle and Isle: “Aisle” and “Isle” are similar misused word pairs like the terms “Our” and “Are.” They are comparable to each other because they have almost identical pronunciations. However, when it comes to their meanings, they are far different. “Aisle” is defined as a passageway between rows and seats in a building, such as a church, auditorium, or theater. “Isle” is defined as a small island or peninsula. The words “aisle vs. isle” are similar to misused word pairs like “our” and “are” because they have the same pronunciation but different meanings.
- Lose and Loose: The terms “Lose” and “Loose” are misused word pairs similar to the terms “Our” and “Are.” These words are under homophones, which have the same pronunciation and almost or far different in meanings. “Lose” is a verb describing a circumstance of not being able to have a particular thing anymore. “Loose” is an adjective that refers to the unattached or less tight description. The words “lose vs. loose” are similar to misused word pairs like “Our” and “Are” because they have the same pronunciation but different meanings. The only difference is that the latter contains an extra letter, “O.”
- Advice and Advise: The words “Advice” and “Advise” are words that are commonly misused in the English language. These words are similar to misused word pairs like “Are” and “Our” because of their pronunciation and slight difference in spelling. “Advice” is a noun that someone gives to their friend. Meanwhile, “Advise” is a verb that refers to someone who is giving words of enlightenment or motivation to their peers. “Our” and “are” and “advice vs. advise” have similarities as they differ in the word type, and they have almost the same pronunciation but are used in different contexts.
- Bear and Bare: The misused word pair “Bear” and “Bare” are similar to the term “Are” and “Our.” The reason for that is because of their connotation and how these words are being delivered. “Bear” as a verb refers to supporting a heavy weight and to struggling or enduring difficulties. “Bare” is an adjective that describes nakedness. The words “Bear vs. Bare” are similar to misused word pairs like “Our” and “Are” because they have the same pronunciation but different meanings. The only difference is the placement of the letters “E” and “A.”
How do Content Writers use “Are” and “Our” in their articles?
Content writers use the words “are” and “our” in their sentences as linking verbs and determiners. They use the word “are” in content writing to let the different elements of the sentence such as adjectives and plural phrases or clauses be connected with each other and convey a complete thought. On the other hand, they made use of the word “our” to be a determiner of one’s ownership and belonging. Content writers need to know the difference between “are” and “our” to avoid misuse that leads to incomprehensible content. The sentence is not making any sense as these words have different meanings when the “are” and “our” are used interchangeably in content writing.
Do Writers use “Are” and “Our” in the wrong way?
No, writers do not use the words “are” and “our” in the wrong way. Content writers are only allowed to write articles when they are already trained and skilled. They are restricted from producing content when their writing skills are poor, especially in terms of using the English language. Knowing how to use English words is the first and most basic skill a content writer must possess to be eligible and deserving. Simple knowledge about word differences such as “are” and “our” is highly required to avoid misuse and misinformation. Apart from that, they are very careful and sophisticated with their sentences, and they do a lot of proofreading before tagging their articles as completed and published. Hence, the interchanging of the words “are” and “our” is the least expected case for writers.
Do Misused Words such as “Our” and “Are” Affect Our SEO and UX?
Yes, misused words such as “our” and “are” affect SEO and UX. Grammatical errors like incorrect spelling and usage of words in writing change what authors want to convey unintentionally. It delivers a different meaning to the reader when a word is misused in a sentence. Additionally, a word with the wrong spelling makes an unprofessional impression on the readers. It gives the belief that the author is not knowledgeable, skillful, or credible enough to write high-quality content. High-quality content matters in Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Most websites that rank top contain quality written articles. Poorly written articles with misspelled and misused words are hurting a website. According to surveys conducted by selected agencies, on average, 59% of consumers do not buy from an online shopping site with bad spelling and poor grammar. It means bad grammar disturbs the flow of one’s writing as it affects the user experience of a reader and causes misinformation.
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