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Confusables Entry 1081 / 1350 60-second read

Oral vs. Aural

Relating to the mouth versus relating to the ear.

The comparisoni

✗ Wrong

She passed the aural exam — it was a written test.

✓ Correct

She passed the oral exam — it was spoken aloud.

The ruleii

ORAL = mouth. AURAL = ear.

ORAL relates to the mouth or to speaking (oral hygiene, oral exam). AURAL relates to the ear or to hearing (aural skills, aural tradition). Same pronunciation; near-opposite meaning.

Memory aidiii

Remember it like this

Oral = Out of mouth. Aural = Attuned ear.

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