Learn about the difference between the homophones: loner and loaner

Definitions

loner

Loner is a noun that refers to a person who prefers to be alone and does not often associate with others.

Example

He was always a bit of a loner, preferring to spend his free time reading.

Example

She's not a loner by choice, but she finds it difficult to make friends.

loaner

Loaner is a noun that refers to something that is temporarily given to someone to use while their own is being repaired or serviced.

Example

The dealership gave me a loaner car while mine was in the shop.

Example

I borrowed a loaner laptop from the IT department while mine was being fixed.

Tips To Remember the Differences

Here are a few tips to easily distinguish the difference between these words while keeping in mind the description we've provided:

To remember the difference between loner and loaner, you could think of loner as someone who is 'alone', while loaner is something that is 'loaned' to you temporarily.