Sound-alike words
Morning vs. Mourning
Morning is the early part of the day, from sunrise until noon. Mourning is sadness after someone dies or after a loss, or the act of showing that sadness. The words sound the same, but only mourning has a U.
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| morning | noun | the early part of the day, from sunrise or midnight until noon |
| mourning | noun | deep sadness after a death, or the time and customs of showing it |
| verb | a form of mourn: feeling or showing sadness over a loss |
Morning
noun: the early part of the day, from sunrise or midnight until noon
- I like to run in the morning before it gets hot.
- Our flight leaves early Tuesday morning.
Mourning
noun: deep sadness after a death, or the time and customs of showing it
- The family wore dark clothes during the period of mourning.
- Mourning doves get their name from their soft, sad-sounding call.
verb: a form of mourn: feeling or showing sadness over a loss
- Fans are mourning the closing of the old ballpark.
- Many readers are mourning the end of the long book series.
How to remember the difference
Mourning has a U, as in I miss you. Morning has no U; it just starts the day.
Good to know
The mourning dove, a common North American bird, is named for its soft, sad-sounding call, so it is spelled with a U, not morning dove.
Spot the mistake
The
morningmourning dove sat on the fence and cooed.Correct: The mourning dove sat on the fence and cooed.
We have a meeting at nine in the
mourning.morning.Correct: We have a meeting at nine in the morning.
Check yourself
Pick the word that fits each sentence.
1. The bakery opens at six every .
Answer: morning. This is a time of day, so the word is morning.
2. Flags were flown at half-staff as a sign of .
Answer: mourning. Lowered flags show sadness over a loss, so the word is mourning.