Critic, criticize and critique - what's the difference?

💕I always say that the English language is like a beautiful ocean full of unique treasures to discover and explore.
However, I also show my incredible students that they shouldn't get discouraged if they see something ambiguous or suspicious on their voyage.

🌼The last moment of hesitation was when one of the students meant to use the word "criticize," but what appeared in her mind was also "critic" and "critique."

She stayed focused and remembered that there was nothing wrong with being hesitant as it happens naturally.

We turned the hesitation into a challenge - it raised everyone's curiosity🧐, and we went smoothly through the whole process.

I clarified the difference between these three words: 🦋critic, 🦋criticize, and 🦋critique.

👉🏻A critic /ˈkrɪt̬.ɪk/ is a person who doesn't approve of your work.

👉🏻Criticize /ˈkrɪt̬.ɪ.saɪz/ - say negative things about what you've done or said.

👉🏻Critique /krɪˈtiːk/ (as a verb)- evaluate someone's work or performance, saying both positive and negative things.

🌺I also directed my students' attention to the pronunciation of these two:

🌼Critique /krɪˈtiːk/ - you put stress on the second syllable

🌼Critic /ˈkrɪt̬.ɪk/- the first syllable is stressed.

We practiced pronunciation until everyone felt the difference and confidence to use them in future conversations.

🌸The exploration led to further questions & having fun while sharing thoughts on 😉having an inner critic who criticizes or maybe critiques fluency.

💫Finally, I made sure that every student knew how to blend the "TH" sound in all these clusters:
👉🏻these three things.

💕I was so grateful for having these incredible people around me and seeing them blossom and grow.

😘I hope you've also noticed the difference between these three words, and you'll use them confidently.
If you want to empower your fluency, start with a free Sunday class.