Difference between Thought and Taught

The words “thought” and “taught” are often used in English. Though they sound similar, they have entirely different meanings and usages. The verb “thought” is the past tense and past participle of “to think,” whereas the verb “taught” is the past tense and past participle of “to teach.” “Thought” is used both as a noun and a verb, whereas “taught” is used only as a verb. In this article, we discuss the differences between “thought” and “taught.”

Thought vs Taught

Meaning of Thought

When “thought” is a verb, it means to have an opinion or idea or to believe something. It is the past tense and the past participle of the verb “to think.” When it is a noun, it means ideas or opinions obtained by thinking or the process of thinking.

Usage of Thought

The word “thought” is used both as a noun and a verb. When it is used as a verb, it is the past tense and past participle of think, which means having an opinion or idea, believing something, or deciding to do something. When it is used as a noun, it means ideas or opinions obtained by thinking or the process of thinking.

• Catherine thought to leave for London to pursue her master’s. Here, “thought” is a verb, which means to decide to do something. 
• It’s good that you have expressed your thoughts. Here, “thought” is a noun, which means an idea.

Examples

• What have you thought about your future?
• I thought a lot and decided to take a break for some time.
• These days, a lot of thoughts are going through my mind.
• She thought to end her life because she had failed her exams.
• Haven’t you thought about your parents before running away from home?

Meaning of Taught

The word “taught” is a verb, which is used to describe an action that happened in the past. It is the past tense and the past participle of the verb “to teach,” which means to impart knowledge or to give information about a subject or a skill. 

Usage of Taught

The word “taught” is only used as a verb, which means to impart knowledge or to give information about a subject or a skill. For example, I taught math to our neighbourhood kids. Here, taught refers to imparting knowledge like how to ride a bike.

Examples

• My father taught me how to ride a bike.
• Miss. Jade taught her students singing.
• Our teacher taught us an easy way to solve this problem.
• His betrayal taught me not to trust everyone blindly.
• My parents taught me how to be strong and independent.

Difference between Thought and Taught

Thought	Taught
It is the past tense and the past participle of the verb “to think.”	It is the past tense and the past participle of the verb “to teach.”
It is used both as a noun and a verb.	It is used only as a verb.
When it is used as a verb, it means to have an opinion or idea, to believe something, or to decide to do something. When it is used as a noun, it means ideas or opinions obtained by thinking or the process of thinking.	It means to impart knowledge or to give information about a subject or a skill.
Synonyms: idea, belief, opinion, perception, feeling, intention, etc.	Synonyms:  educate, instruct, inculcate, explain, enlighten, etc.
Examples: I thought that it would be best for both of us. It’s getting difficult for me to get out of the negative thoughts.	Examples: Tina taught Nick to play the violin. You should have taught her the difference between those two.

Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed the differences between “thought” and “taught,” as well as their meaning and usage, with examples. Remember that “thought” is the past tense of the verb “to think,” whereas “taught” is the past tense of the verb “to teach.” Their meanings are completely different and can’t be used interchangeably.