student asking question

How different are "make money" and "earn money"?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

"Earn money" and "make money" have slightly different meanings. "Earn money" refers to exchanging time and effort for money, which is the case with most jobs. "Make money" refers to obtaining money without exchanging time and effort for it, such as making money on the stock market, renting out an apartment, etc. This being said, many native English speakers use "earn money" and "make money" interchangeably. Ex: I earn money by working in an office. Ex: She makes a lot of money by renting out her apartment.

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