What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
guest
Example
The hotel was fully booked with guests for the weekend. [guest: noun]
Example
We had a lot of guests at our party last night. [guests: plural noun]
Example
The company invited a guest speaker to give a presentation. [guest: adjective]
lodger
Example
My aunt has a lodger who rents a room in her house. [lodger: noun]
Example
He was a lodger in the city for a few months while he looked for a permanent place to live. [lodger: noun]
Example
She offered to let me stay as a lodger in her apartment while I was studying abroad. [lodger: noun]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Guest is a more common word than lodger and is used in a wider range of contexts. Lodger is a more specific term that is typically used in the context of renting a room in someone else's home.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between guest and lodger?
Guest is a more versatile term that can be used in both formal and informal contexts, while lodger is more commonly used in formal or legal contexts related to renting and tenancy agreements.