Confusing words explained
“experience” vs “experiment” — What’s the Difference?
Similar spelling but different meanings: experience = knowledge from doing; experiment = a test
Key takeaway
Quick Difference: experience vs experiment
Similar spelling but different meanings: experience = knowledge from doing; experiment = a test
experience vs experiment Side-by-Side Comparison
Meaning of experience
Knowledge or skill acquired through involvement in something; events that happen to a person.
Things that happen to you that you learn from; knowledge from doing something.
Use 'experience' when talking about what you have done or learned. As a verb, it means to go through something.
- She had five years of experience working in marketing.
- Traveling gives you valuable experience and new perspectives.
Meaning of experiment
A test or trial done to discover or prove something; a scientific procedure to test a hypothesis.
A test done to find out if something works or is true.
Use 'experiment' for controlled tests in science. As a verb, it means to try new things.
- The chemistry experiment failed because we forgot an ingredient.
- Scientists conduct experiments to test new medicines.
How to Remember the Difference
Experience = lived through (personal); experiment = scientific test (controlled).
Common Mistakes with experience and experiment
Mistake with experience
Wrong: She has ten years experience in teaching.
Correct: She has ten years of experience in teaching.
The preposition 'of' is required after time expressions when using 'experience' as a countable noun.
Mistake with experience
Wrong: I will experience the flight tomorrow.
Correct: I will take the flight tomorrow.
Use 'take' for flight journeys. 'Experience' suggests something memorable or emotional.
Mistake with experiment
Wrong: The scientists experiment without proper safety equipment.
Correct: The scientist experiments with new safety protocols.
Subject-verb agreement: use 'scientist' singular with 'experiments'. 'Experiment with' is correct for testing new approaches.
Mistake with experiment
Wrong: She has experiments for three years.
Correct: She has been experimenting for three years.
Use present perfect continuous 'has been experimenting' when an action started in the past and continues.
Practice Quiz: experience or experiment?
Choose the word that best completes each real example sentence.
Question 1
She had five years of _____ working in marketing.
Question 2
Traveling gives you valuable _____ and new perspectives.
Question 3
My worst _____ was getting lost in the city.
Pick at least one answer, then press Check answers to see how you did.
You scored 0 out of 3
Frequently Asked Questions About experience vs experiment
What’s the difference between “experience” and “experiment”?
Similar spelling but different meanings: experience = knowledge from doing; experiment = a test
When should I use “experience”?
Use 'experience' when talking about what you have done or learned. As a verb, it means to go through something.
When should I use “experiment”?
Use 'experiment' for controlled tests in science. As a verb, it means to try new things.
How can I remember experience vs experiment?
Experience = lived through (personal); experiment = scientific test (controlled).
Is it “experience” or “experiment” in example sentences?
Use the quiz above to test the pair with real example sentences from the available word data.