Look-alike words
Moral vs. Morale
Moral is about right and wrong: as an adjective it means ethical, and as a noun it is the lesson of a story. Morale is a noun for the mood or confidence of a group. Winning boosted the team's morale.
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| moral | adjective | concerned with right and wrong behavior, or acting in a good, honest way |
| noun | the lesson about right and wrong that a story or event teaches | |
| morale | noun | the confidence, enthusiasm and spirit of a person or group |
Moral
adjective: concerned with right and wrong behavior, or acting in a good, honest way
- Returning the lost wallet was the moral thing to do.
- The book raises moral questions about honesty at work.
noun: the lesson about right and wrong that a story or event teaches
- What is the moral of the story you just told?
- The moral is simple: always back up your files.
Morale
noun: the confidence, enthusiasm and spirit of a person or group
- Free lunch on Fridays did wonders for office morale.
- Morale was low after the team lost five games in a row.
How to remember the difference
Morale has an extra E, for the energy and enthusiasm of a group. Moral, without it, is about right and wrong.
Good to know
Pronunciation helps: moral is MOR-ul, and morale is muh-RAL, stressed at the end. The plural morals means a person's standards of behavior, as in a person of strong morals.
Spot the mistake
The new coach really lifted the players'
moral.morale.Correct: The new coach really lifted the players' morale.
Every fairy tale seems to have a
moralemoral at the end.Correct: Every fairy tale seems to have a moral at the end.
Check yourself
Pick the word that fits each sentence.
1. Long hours and no breaks hurt the staff's .
Answer: morale. This is about the group's mood and spirit, so the word is morale.
2. She faced a choice: tell the truth or protect her friend.
Answer: moral. The choice is about right and wrong, so the adjective moral fits.