Ais vs Aide | Ask Linda! | English Grammar

In this video Linda breaks down the difference between “aid” and “aide”.

Due to the similar spelling and pronunciation of these two words, they are often confused in the English language. Let’s take a closer look.

The word “aid”, spelled A-I-D, refers to something that helps. That could be your teaching aids in the classroom, or medical aid, like the first-aid-kit and so on. Let’s look at an example sentence:

You need to talk a little louder to grandpa because he forgot his hearing aid.

Note that “aid” can also be used as a verb meaning “to help”, such as in this example:

Drinking a lot of water aids digestion.

“Aide” spelled with an “E” at the end, however, refers to a living helper or an assistant, for example:

My brother finally came home after working as a volunteer aide in Africa for six months.

So remember, while both words refer to the act of helping, “aid” spelled A-I-D always refers to a thing, while “aide” with an “E” at the end always refers to a person.

That’s it for today. See you next time!