Learn about the difference between the homophones: oral and aural

Definitions

oral

Oral is an adjective that refers to something spoken or communicated by word of mouth. It can also refer to the mouth or the act of speaking.

Example

The oral exam will be held next week.

Example

She gave an oral presentation on the topic.

aural

Aural is an adjective that refers to something related to the ear or the sense of hearing. It can also refer to the perception of sound.

Example

The aural experience of a concert is different from listening to a recording.

Example

He has a keen aural sense and can identify different bird calls.

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 oral and aural, think of oral as being related to the mouth, which is used for speaking. - On the other hand, aural is related to the ear, which is used for hearing. - You could also associate oral with 'spoken' and aural with 'heard'.