What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
untrain
Example
The dog had to be untrained from biting people. [untrained: past participle]
Example
She had to untrain herself from her old bad habits. [untrain: verb]
unlearn
Example
He had to unlearn his old ways of thinking to adapt to the new situation. [unlearn: verb]
Example
It's hard to unlearn something that you've believed for so long. [unlearn: verb]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Unlearn is more commonly used than untrain in everyday language. Unlearn is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while untrain is less common and refers to a specific type of learning.
Whatโs the difference in the tone of formality between untrain and unlearn?
Both untrain and unlearn are typically associated with a neutral or informal tone, but can be used in formal contexts as well.