What is the difference between "right" and "write"?

The words right and write are often confused because they sound similar. We'll explain the difference.

Right means that which complies with justice, law or reason when used as a noun. It can mean righteous, correct, or appropriate when used as an adjective. It also means opposite of left.

Write means to form letters, words or symbols on a surface in order to communicate when used as a verb.

A good way to remember the difference is write with words: those all start with w.

Write and right are homophones. They sound the same, but they have different spellings and very different meanings.

Write

Write is what you do when you put words on a page. This could mean writing with your hand and a writing utensil, but it can also mean typing on your computer or phone. Write can literally mean to just form letters, or it can mean to create a whole piece of written work, like a book, essay, or blog post.

Some synonyms of write are: create, draw, describe, create verbally, pen.

Right

Right has several uses. At its most basic definition, it means the opposite of left. For instance, you might say, Turn right at the stop sign. Sometimes, right is an adverb that means just, exactly, or at this instant. As an adjective, right can mean that something is correct. It might also mean righteous or appropriate. You might say, "Do the right thing." Finally, as a noun, right means a basic law or privilege. The Bill of Rights is an example of ten basic rights.

Some synonyms of right are: correct, powerful, correcting, decent.

Still confused? Check out our video to master the difference.

FAQs

Is it nothing to write home about or nothing to right home about?

The correct phrase is nothing to write home about. It means it's not worth writing about because it's unimpressive.

What's the correct phrase: barge right in or barge write in?

The correct expression is barge right in, e.g. I decided to barge right in and separate them.

Is the expression give your right arm or give your write arm?

The right expression is give your right arm. This means you want or need something so much, you'd give up an arm.

Should I use right on the button or write on the button?

You should use right on the button, e.g. As usual, her analysis was right on the button.

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The definitions in this article were adapted from Wiktionary.