Aid vs Aide
Aid and Aide are a pair of words that seem created just to confuse you. You will notice there is only one little difference in spelling. The pronunciation is the same. The meanings are similar. The word aid can be a noun or a verb. The word aide is used as a noun. So, what is the difference? One noun is a thing, and the other noun is a person.
Here are some definitions and examples to help make the use of these words clearer.
Aid (noun, verb)
(n) Help, assistance, support
(v) To give help, assistance, support
Examples:
(n) At the accident scene, the paramedics were giving first aid to the victims.
(v) We need volunteers to aid the scared puppies rescued from the flood.
In the first sentence, aid is a noun; a thing. It is the help the paramedics are giving to the victims. In the second sentence, aid is a verb; an action. It is helping the rescued puppies.
Aide (noun)
The person who helps, assists, supports.
Examples:
The nurse’s aide brought the patient his medication.
In a classroom with 30 students, the teacher’s aide provides a lot of assistance.
In both examples, the aide is a person who helps or who gives assistance. The nurse’s aide assists the nurse. The teacher’s aide provides support to the teacher.
Main Points
- Aid can mean help, assistance, or support (a noun); or it can mean to give help, to assist, or to support (a verb).
- Aide is the person who provides aid.
- Aid and Aide basically mean the same thing: help, assistance, support. Aid can be used as a verb or noun while aide is a noun that refers to a person.