Common mistakes
Coma or comma: spelling, meaning, and pronunciation
Sign in to saveComa and comma differ by one letter. The sentence around the word helps you choose the spelling.
Read the short answer for the spelling choice. The full lesson shows how the sounds differ and which verbs fit around these nouns.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
coma and comma KOH-muh-and-KOM-uh
The short answer
Coma, with one m, describes deep unconsciousness, often after illness or injury. Comma, with two ms, names the punctuation symbol that separates items or parts of a written sentence.
Please add a comma between the two items.
Why it works: The sentence asks for a writing mark, so use two ms.
3 more examples
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Hospital update
The injured driver remained in a coma for two weeks.
Use coma with one m for the serious medical state.
Not this:The injured driver remained in a
commafor two weeks. What changes: Comma names a writing mark and does not fit this sentence about a patient. -
Writing rules
Put a comma between the items in your list.
Use comma with two ms for the mark that separates list items.
Not this:Put a
comabetween the items in your list. What changes: Coma names an unconscious state, so it does not fit this writing task. -
Waking up in hospital
He woke from the coma and spoke with his family.
Coma names the unconscious state that the person has come out of.
Not this:He woke from the
commaand spoke with his family. What changes: Comma names a writing mark, so the sentence uses the wrong word.
Quick check
Which sentence names a punctuation mark in written text?
Answer: You need to add a comma after the first word.
Show the answer
Answer: You need to add a comma after the first word.
Comma has two ms and names the writing mark.
Read the full guide
When you read a hospital update or edit a report, the words around coma and comma give you a clue. Compare the two meanings first. Then use the examples to check the spelling and sound.
Choose the spelling by meaning
The problem: I am unsure whether the word needs one m or two.
First, decide what the sentence is about. Coma, with one m, names a state of unconsciousness. Comma, with two ms, names a writing mark. Adding or removing an m changes the word; it does not make a plural.
This word names a state in which someone cannot be woken.
The patient remained in a coma overnight.
This word names the mark that separates parts of written text.
The editor added a comma after the opening phrase.
Your turn
Which sentence correctly describes a person in the hospital?
Answer: The driver was in a coma after the collision.
Show the answer
Answer: The driver was in a coma after the collision.
A coma with one m is a deep unconscious state.
Listen for the first vowel
The problem: I use the same vowel for both words.
Coma begins with the sound in go. Comma begins with the sound in hot in the same accent. Both words have a stronger first beat and a weak final vowel. The doubled m does not mean a longer m sound.
| Word | First vowel | Listening cue |
|---|---|---|
| coma | Like go | Start with the vowel in go, then add the weak final part. |
| comma | Like hot | Use the vowel in hot, then add the weak final part. |
Your turn
Which word has the same first vowel as go?
Answer: coma
Show the answer
Answer: coma
Coma has the vowel heard in go. Comma has the vowel heard in hot in the same accent.
Use common word partners
The problem: I need a natural phrase around the word I have chosen.
Use in a coma to name the state. Fall into a coma describes entering that state; wake from a coma describes leaving it. With the writing mark, common verbs include add, insert, and remove. Choose the verb that matches the action.
-
The doctor said he was still in a coma.
Why it works: In names the state the person is in.
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The editor asked me to remove a comma.
Why it works: Remove tells you to take out the writing mark.
Your turn
Complete the phrase that names the patient's state.
Answer: The doctor said the patient was still in a coma.
Show the answer
Answer: in
The phrase is in a coma. In connects was with the named state.
Two expressions with these words
The problem: Food coma and inverted commas do not mean what I expected.
Food coma is a joking expression for feeling sleepy after a large meal. In that use, it does not name a medical coma. Inverted commas is a British name for quotation marks, the marks placed around someone's exact words.
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That huge lunch has left me in a food coma.
Why it works: The speaker is joking about feeling sleepy after eating.
-
Put the speaker's exact words in inverted commas.
Why it works: This British term means quotation marks, not ordinary commas.
Your turn
What does someone mean when they say they are in a food coma?
Answer: They feel very sleepy after a big meal.
Show the answer
Answer: They feel very sleepy after a big meal.
Here, food coma is a joking description of feeling sleepy after eating.
Before you go
Question 1 of 1
A colleague has listed three items without separating them. Which sentence asks them to add the writing mark between the items?
Office report review
Answer: We should insert a comma here so the sentence is easy to read.
Show the answer
Answer: We should insert a comma here so the sentence is easy to read.
Comma names the writing mark. The other choices use the word for an unconscious state.
Remember this
Before you send a message, check what you mean and count the ms. Then read the word aloud, paying attention to the first vowel.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Coma or comma: spelling, meaning, and pronunciation"
What is the difference between coma and comma?
Coma, with one m, names a deep unconscious state. Comma, with two ms, names the punctuation mark used in written sentences. Choose the spelling by the meaning you need.
The patient remained in a coma overnight.
Add a comma between the two items.
Do coma and comma sound the same?
No. In British English, coma starts with the vowel in go, while comma starts with the vowel in hot. American speakers also use different first vowels. Compare both words in one accent before you switch accents.
The nurse said the patient was in a coma.
The editor removed an extra comma.
Which words commonly go with coma and comma?
Use in a coma for the state and fall or go into a coma for entering it. With comma, verbs such as add, insert, and remove describe what you do to the writing mark.
She fell into a coma after the accident.
Please remove the comma after the subject.
Does food coma mean a medical coma?
No. Food coma is an informal expression for feeling sleepy or slow after a large meal. It does not mean that the person is in the serious unconscious state called a coma.
That large lunch left me in a food coma.
He joked about a food coma and took a nap.
What are inverted commas?
Inverted commas is a British term for quotation marks. These marks go around words that someone said or wrote. They are different from an ordinary comma.
Put the speaker's exact words in inverted commas.
The editor placed the quoted phrase in inverted commas.