Coral or Corral?

Our Story

Coral or Corral?

What is the difference between "coral" and "corrall"?
  • "Coral" is a hard stony substance secreted by certain marine polyps.
    • Ice ages have come and gone, but coral reefs have persisted. (Marine biologist Sylvia Earle)
  • A "corral" is an enclosure for livestock. As a verb, "to corral" is "to round up" or "to put livestock in a corral."
    • They are building a corral for the bison.
      • (Here, "corral" is a noun.)
    • Corral the bison before the rain starts.
      • (In this example, "corral" is a verb.)
    • I like to sit on my porch and corral my thoughts.
      • (As a verb, "corral" is often used figuratively.)
coral or corral?
Got it? Take a quick test.

More about "Coral" and "Corral"

The words "coral" and "corral" look and sound similar, but their meanings are very different. With the stress on the first syllable, "coral" rhymes with "laurel" (as in "laurel wreath"). With the stress on the second syllable, "corral" rhymes with "morale" (as in "the soldiers' morale.")

Coral

Coral is a noun. It refers to the colorful rock-like reefs found on sea beds.


Formal definition for coral: "A hard stony substance secreted by certain marine polyps as an external skeleton, typically forming large reefs in warm seas."

Corral

As a noun, "corral" refers to an enclosure for livestock. As a verb, it means "to round up" or "to put livestock in a corral."


Formal definition for corral: "A pen or enclosure for confining or capturing livestock."

As verb, "corral" is often used figuratively. For example:
  • We're tasked with making decisions under uncertainty. How do you corral that uncertainty in a way to make more consistently better decisions? (Sportsman Paul DePodesta)
A corral can also refer to an enclosure made with wagons for defending an encampment.


Corral: "A defensive enclosure"
Interactive Exercise
Here are three randomly selected questions from a larger exercise, which can be edited, printed to create an exercise worksheet, or sent via email to friends or students.

Help Us To Improve Grammar Monster

  • Do you disagree with something on this page?
  • Did you spot a typo?
Please tell us using this form.

See Also

adverse or averse? affect or effect? appraise or apprise? avenge or revenge? bare or bear? complement or compliment? dependant or dependent? discreet or discrete? disinterested or uninterested? e.g. or i.e.? envy or jealousy? imply or infer? its or it's? material or materiel? poisonous or venomous? moral and morale practice or practise? principal or principle? cannot or can not? who's or whose? What are nouns? What are verbs? List of easily confused words