Week vs. Weak: Bringing Out the Distinction

by Arushi Gupta

If you’ve often stumbled while using the two similar sounding, yet very different words, week and weak, here’s a short article explaining the difference between the two.

Week vs. weak: Definitions

Weak refers to a lack of strength, power, or effectiveness, while week refers to a period of seven days. Week is often also used to describe a length of time of seven days, such as “I’ll see you a week later.” On the other hand, weak is used to describe someone or something that lacks strength or resolve, such as “I feel weak after my workout.”

Common writing errors in academic writing

Examples of week vs. weak

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” – Mahatma Gandhi

“The weak fall, but the strong will remain and never go under!” – Anne Frank

“The week is really an odd time to start a healthy lifestyle, but at least the weekend will be healthier.” – Unknown

“There are 52 weeks in a year, 365 days to live a life, and sometimes, all you need is one good week to change everything.” – Unknown

How to remember week vs. weak

A simple trick to remember the difference between week and weak is to associate week with the word ‘calendar.’ Meanwhile, weak rhymes with ‘meek,’ which means submissive or lacking in strength.

Apart from week vs. weak, there are a lot of other words which have similar sounds but vastly different meanings. Too and to, affect and effect, continually and continuously are some pairs in the similar category.


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