Sound-alike words
Aid vs. Aide
Aid means help, either as a noun (first aid, financial aid) or as a verb (to aid someone). Aide is always a noun for a person whose job is to assist someone, like a teacher's aide.
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| aid | noun | help or support, or something such as money, food or a device that gives help |
| verb | to help someone or make something easier | |
| aide | noun | a person whose job is to assist someone, often in a school, hospital or government office |
Aid
noun: help or support, or something such as money, food or a device that gives help
- Omar applied for financial aid to cover his tuition.
- Every car should carry a basic first aid kit.
verb: to help someone or make something easier
- A good night's sleep aids memory.
- Volunteers aided the rescue teams by handing out water.
Aide
noun: a person whose job is to assist someone, often in a school, hospital or government office
- The teacher's aide helps the younger students with reading.
- A nurse's aide checked on my grandfather every hour.
How to remember the difference
An aide is a person, and the extra e stands for employee. Aid without the e is the help itself.
Good to know
A hearing aid and a visual aid are devices or tools, so they take aid, not aide, even though they help a person. Aide came into English from French and is used only for people.
Spot the mistake
Grace works as a teacher's
aidaide at the elementary school.Correct: Grace works as a teacher's aide at the elementary school.
My grandmother just got a new hearing
aide.aid.Correct: My grandmother just got a new hearing aid.
Check yourself
Pick the word that fits each sentence.
1. The coach's handed out water bottles during the break.
Answer: aide. The word names a person who assists the coach, so it is aide.
2. The charity sent food and medical to the flooded towns.
Answer: aid. The word means help or supplies, not a person, so it is aid.