A single ‘s’ is enough to mess up the meanings of these words. If you minutely observe, then there’s just an extra ‘s’ in one of the words. As a result, children, including adults, often end up confusing them and using them interchangeably. This article will make sure that no longer students mess up between these words and will point out how the words ‘desert’ and ‘dessert’ are different from each other.
The English Language has lots of such words that often confuse students as most of them don’t know the difference between such words. This article will point out the key differences between one such pair of homophones, i.e. dessert and desert. Let’s have a look at the following topics:
- Table Summarising the Difference between Desert and Dessert
- The Difference between Desert and Dessert – Meaning
- Example of Desert and Dessert
- Desert and Dessert – Conclusion
Table Summarising the Difference between Desert and Dessert
|
Desert |
Dessert |
|
|
Meaning |
The desert either refers to a geographical feature or abandoning someone/something. |
Dessert means a sweet dish that people often have at the end of any meal. |
|
Usage |
It is used as a noun and verb. |
It is used as a noun. |
|
Example |
Someone deserted a puppy on the road. |
Strawberry cake was served as the dessert at the wedding. |
This table shows that though ‘desert’ and ‘dessert’ are homophones, they aren’t synonymous nor can’t be used interchangeably. Since students often get confused between these words, this table will help them understand the context they are using it in. Once they get the difference between these words, they can apply them correctly.
The Difference between Desert and Dessert – Meaning
When you say the word “desert”, it either means a geographical feature, i.e. the land of sands with no/minimum rainfall or abandoning someone/something. When the word ‘desert’ is used to refer to a land of sands, then it’s used as a noun, but when it’s used to refer to abandonment, it’s used as a verb. But the word ‘dessert’ simply refers to a sweet dish that people enjoy after meals. Once the students understand this difference, it will be easier to implement them in sentences. Just the students have to be careful while writing the spellings, i.e. whether there’s a single ‘s’ or ‘ss’ in the spellings.
Example of Desert and Dessert
The following example will help students understand the terms ‘desert’ and ‘dessert.’
Dessert – I have made custard for tonight’s dessert.
Desert – Did you know that the Sahara desert is the largest desert in the world.
Once students understand the difference between the words ‘desert’ and ‘dessert’, they can easily apply them in the proper context.
Desert and Dessert – Conclusion
In conclusion, the words ‘desert’ and ‘dessert’ are homophones, and they cannot be used interchangeably and are not synonymous. When one is using these words, one has to understand the context before applying them. This article talks about the essential points that’ll help one to know how to use these two terms. BYJU’S offers various articles on many such ‘differences between two words’ that people often get confused with.
