Principal vs. Principle Commonly Confused Words

Principle  and  principal  are homophones, which means that they sound alike but have different meanings. Principal  refers to something or someone of importance, whereas principle refers to a basic truth or law. Howto Use Principle Principle  is a noun that means  basic truth, law, rule, or assumption. It can refer to rules of proper conduct, fundamental doctrines, or other views about right and wrong that govern an individuals conduct. The word  principle  is often used in relation to the concept of morality. You probably hear about specific principles on a regular basis. Innocent until proven guilty is a principle of the U.S. legal system. A farmer might decide to use only organic pesticides because using pesticides goes against their principles. If you consider yourself a law-abiding person, you would not call yourself a  principle. Instead, you would be a person of  principle. How to Use Principal Principal, on the other hand, can be used as both a noun and an adjective. In both cases, it is used to designate something, or someone, of importance.  As a noun, principal has more than ten definitions. Some of the most frequently-used of those definitions  are: A leader or head of an organization or institution, typically a school.  The non-interest portion of a loan. For example, if you took out a loan of $100,000, the principal would be $100,000.A leader or owner of a business. If you owned your own business or were a high-level individual at a firm, you would be considered a principal. As an adjective, the word means first, or highest in rank. For instance, your principal complaint when seeing a doctor might be a stomach ache, or the principal actors on the set are the ones with leading roles. In the latter case, â€Å"principal actors† could even be condensed to â€Å"principals† as they are the people in the starring roles. Principal can also be turned into the adverb  principally, meaning â€Å"for the most part.† If you were principally a children’s book author, it would mean you primarily wrote children’s books, but might venture into other genres or have a side-career. Examples The following examples further clarify the differences between the two terms.   The  principal  goal of this article is to help you master the difference between two words.  Here,  principal  is used to convey the fact that this goal is the first and primary one of the article. the first and primary purpose of the article.  Principle  cannot be used here, first because it cannot be used as an adjective and second because it does not mean first or primary.The high school  principal  wants all students to learn the fundamental  principles  of math.  Principal  is used here to connote that this individual is the leader of the school.  Principles  refers to the most important concepts in the field of mathematics.  The  principal  speaker’s insistence on equal disabled access at the event was a matter of  principle.  Here,  principal  is used to show that the speaker is the primary and most important speaker at the event.  Principle  is used to show that the speaker believes allowing disabled access is the only m orally correct course of action.  As an environmentalist, he refused to use plastic bags on  principle.  In this sentence,  principle  is used to express that the refusal to use plastic bags is part of the subjects conception of right and wrong. How to Remember the Difference To remember the difference between these two terms, pay attention to the last three letters.  Principal  ends with -pal. Think of leaders and principals as being your friend and offering guidance. It can also serve as a reminder that  principal  can refer to a â€Å"pal,† or a person, whereas  principle  refers to rules or tenets. Also, keep in mind that principle is always a noun and will never be used as an adjective. Principal can be a noun or an adjective, but in either case will typically signal something or someone of importance.