Common mistakes
Dairy or diary: check the order of the letters
Do you buy dairy or write in a diary? The letters look alike, but the words name different things.
Start with the meaning. Then use the first sound and the middle letters to check your choice.
Can you use "dairy or diary" yourself?
Listen to a recording, type what you hear, and check your answer.
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dairy or diary DAIR-ee-or-DY-uh-ree
The short answer
Use dairy for milk products and diary for notes, dates, or appointments. The middle letters are ai and ia.
I bought dairy-free yogurt and wrote the date in my diary.
Why it works: Dairy-free describes the yogurt. Diary names the book used to note the date.
3 more examples
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Saving an address
I wrote the address in my diary after the call.
A diary can hold private notes or plans.
Not this:I wrote the address in my
dairyafter the call. What changes: It sounds as if you wrote in a place that produces milk. -
Choosing lunch
This soup has dairy, so I chose a different lunch.
Use dairy for milk and foods made from it.
Not this:This soup has
diary, so I chose a different lunch. What changes: The sentence suddenly seems to be about a book. -
Making an appointment
I'll add the dentist visit to my diary.
In British English, a diary can be an appointment book.
Not this:I'll add the dentist visit to my
dairy. What changes: The word changes from an appointment book to a dairy business.
Quick check
Which word means a book for appointments?
Planning your work week
Answer: diary
Show the answer
Answer: diary
A diary holds appointments. Dairy means milk and foods made from it, or a place that produces milk.
Read the full guide
Try the listening exerciseAt a cafe, you choose a drink and open your planner. One choice is about milk. The other is about dates. A quick meaning check keeps the spellings clear.
Start with the meaning
The problem: I hear the words and choose the wrong one.
Milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, or a place that produces milk.
The shop sells local dairy products.
A book for notes, dates, or appointments.
Nora keeps her plans in a diary.
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He ordered a dairy-free dessert.
Why it works: Dairy-free means the dessert has no milk ingredients.
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My diary is full next Friday.
Why it works: The word names a book for plans.
Your turn
Mina is choosing cheese and yogurt. Which word names that kind of food?
Answer: dairy
Show the answer
Answer: dairy
Cheese and yogurt are dairy foods because they come from milk.
Hear the first sound
The problem: The words sound close when people speak quickly.
Listen to the first part. Dairy begins like dare. Diary begins like die. Both words have the strong beat at the start.
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The dairy farm is outside town.
Why it works: Dare gives you the first sound in dairy.
-
Her diary is beside the lamp.
Why it works: Die gives you the first sound in diary.
Your turn
Which word has the vowel sound in eye?
Answer: diary
Show the answer
Answer: diary
The first vowel in diary sounds like eye. The first vowel in dairy sounds like air.
Use familiar partners
The problem: I know both words but put one beside the wrong verb.
| Topic | Useful phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Food | dairy products | Milk, butter, and cheese |
| Food | dairy-free | Without milk ingredients |
| Writing | keep a diary | Write notes over time |
| Plans | check your diary | Look at your dates |
-
Not this:
I wrote the meeting in my dairy.Say: I wrote the meeting in my diary.
Meetings go in a diary. Dairy refers to milk products or a place that produces milk.
Your turn
Which phrase means look at your schedule?
Answer: check my diary
Show the answer
Answer: check my diary
Check my diary means look at an appointment book or schedule.
Check ai and ia
The problem: I know the meaning but swap the middle letters.
Look at the middle letters after you choose the meaning. Dairy has ai. Diary has ia. The same letters are in a different order.
Use it for milk products or a farm that produces milk.
dairy products
Use it for notes, dates, or plans.
my work diary
-
Not this:
This cafe has diary-free milk.Say: This cafe has dairy-free milk.
Dairy-free means without milk ingredients. Check the ai in dairy.
Your turn
Which spelling has ai in the middle and refers to milk products?
Answer: dairy
Show the answer
Answer: dairy
Dairy has ai in the middle. Diary has ia.
Before you go
Question 1 of 2
Your friend asks if butter is made from milk. Which sentence answers the question?
Answer: Butter's a dairy product.
Show the answer
Answer: Butter's a dairy product.
Butter is food made from milk, so it is a dairy product.
Remember this
Choose the meaning first. Then check ai for dairy and ia for diary before you write.
Listen first
Listen and write
Listen, type what you hear, then choose Check my answer. Use a hint when you get stuck.
0 of 3 done
Listening 1 of 3
Listen, then type what you hear. Replay as often as you need.
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Listening 2 of 3
Listen, then type what you hear. Replay as often as you need.
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Try a longer clip. Listen once, then replay the part you missed.
Listening 3 of 3
Listen, then type what you hear. Replay as often as you need.
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Practice complete
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Test yourself
Listen to a new clip and write what you hear. You can replay it, but hints stay off and the transcript opens after you check your answer.
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Listening 1 of 4
Listen, then type what you hear. Replay as often as you need.
Checking meeting times at work
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Listening 2 of 4
Listen, then type what you hear. Replay as often as you need.
Buying milk from a local producer
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Listening 3 of 4
Listen, then type what you hear. Replay as often as you need.
Ordering at a new lunch spot
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Listening 4 of 4
Listen, then type the missing words. The rest of the text is already there.
Organizing the week on Sunday evening
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Save my progressQuestions about "Dairy or diary: check the order of the letters"
How do I choose between dairy and diary?
Start with the meaning. Use dairy for milk and foods made from it, or a place that produces milk. Use diary for a book of personal notes or appointments.
The recipe contains dairy, so we chose another dessert.
I put the school meeting in my diary.
What can dairy mean?
Dairy can mean milk and foods made from it, such as cheese or yogurt. It can also mean a farm or business that produces milk.
The cafe has several dairy-free cakes.
Her uncle works on a dairy farm.
Can a diary be an appointment book?
Yes. In British English, diary often means a book or calendar where you write appointments and plans. It can also hold private notes about your day.
Our manager asked me to check my diary before I agreed to Friday.
Sam keeps a diary during his trip.
How do dairy and diary sound different?
The first vowel in dairy sounds like the vowel in dare. In diary, it sounds like the vowel in die. Listen to that vowel, then check the meaning.
The dairy sign is next to the bakery.
Her diary is on the desk.
Which middle letters should I check?
Dairy has ai in the middle. Diary has ia. The letters are the same, but their order changes the word you need.
The shop sells dairy products.
My work diary has three meetings tomorrow.
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