Difference Between Hole and Whole

“Hole” and “whole” are two words commonly used in English. Even though if they sound similar, they have different meanings and usage.

Difference Between Hole and Whole

Meaning of Hole

A hollow area or opening in a surface or object is known as a “hole”. It can be any shape or size, and it can happen either naturally or artificially created.

Usage of Hole

“Hole” is used to describe an opening in a surface, often used to refer to physical spaces or openings. It can be used to describe negative spaces for example a hole in a shirt or physical openings in objects for example a hole in a wall.

Examples of Hole

• There is a hole in my sock.
• The water glass had a hole in the bottom.
• The golfer hit the ball straight into the hole.
• The carpenter made a hole in wood.
• There is a hole in the ozone layer.

Meaning of Whole

Whole means something that is complete, entire or undivided. It refers to a thing that is not missing any of its parts or components.

Usage of Whole

• As a adjective it is used to describes a thing or object that is complete or undivided 
• As a adverb it modifies a verb or an adjective which indicates that something is done completely or fully. 
• As a noun it refers to a complete entity, unit or object

Examples of Whole

• I ate the whole pizza by myself.
• She read the whole book in one night sitting.
• The whole team worked hard to win the game.
• He bought the whole set of collectible cards.
• The medicine made me feel whole again.
• The puzzle is missing one whole piece.

Differences between Hole and Whole

Hole	Whole
A hollow space or opening	Complete or entire
Describes negative space or physical openings	Describes a condition
It can be any size or shape	Refers to a  group of objects or a single object
It can be occur naturally or artificially created	Used to describe a group of objects that form a complete entity
Used to refer to openings or physical spaces	Used to describe whole or feeling complete
Examples: hole in a shirt, hole in a wall	Examples: whole pizza, whole collection
Used as a noun	Used as an adjective
Pronounced with a long ‘o’ sound	Pronounced with a short ‘o’ sound
It can be part of a larger surface or object	Refers to the entirety of something
It can be filled or repaired	Cannot be broken into parts

Conclusion

In summary, “hole” and “whole” are two words that sound similar but have different meanings and usage. “Hole” refers to a physical space or opening, while “whole” refers to something that is complete or entire. It is important to use these words correctly to avoid miscommunication and confusion.