In academic writing, something that can be a huge problem are commonly confused words as they lower the level of professionality in your text. The terms “used to” and “use to” are especially prone to confusion, as they sound almost exactly the same when used in spoken language. In this article, you’ll find out how to distinguish these two, and how to use them correctly.
Definition of “used to” vs. “use to”
Homophones are words that sound similar or the same, but have different spellings or meanings. The two easily confused verbs “used to” and “use to” are a perfect example for this. While they are both used as verbs and stem from the same origin, their application in sentences might differ in various contexts.
“Used to” is the past form of “use to” and is used to describe an action or habit from the past that is no longer happening. Another meaning can be found in the use as an adjective, a replacement for “accustomed to.”
“Use to,” usually followed by an infinitive verb to describe a negative statement or set an emphasis.
Used to
… is used as an adjective or a verb. It most commonly refers to something that was happening frequently in the past and is not happening anymore.
Use to
…is a verb that is specifically used in negative statements, questions, and emphases, especially when “did,” “didn’t,” or “did not” is involved.
The key to differentiating between “used to” and “use to” lies in understanding the specific context as well as the appearance of “did,” “didn’t,” or “did not.” If any form of “did” is involved, you have to always use “use to.”
Using the words “used to”
The words “used to” can be used as an adjective or a verb. How they are applied in a sentence, and what the words mean, will be explained below.
“Used to” as a verbal phrase
The verbal phrase “used to” refers to an action or a habit from the past, which is no longer ongoing. Therefore, “used to” is followed by a verb in the infinitive form, describing which action it was that has ended happening. “Used to” is never used with “did,” “didn’t,” or “did not!”
Examples
- We used to go to the playground every day in our childhood.
- In high school, I used to eat a lot of fast food.
- I remember you used to have so much fun playing tennis.
- These two used to always hang around each other.
“Used to” as an adjective phrase
In some cases, “used to” is used as an adjective phrase, replacing “accustomed to.” When you use “used to” as an adjective phrase, there are some exceptions when it can stand with “did” or “didn’t.”
Examples
- Over time, I got used to the new situation.
- Over time, I got accustomed to the new situation.
- You need to get used to this!
- You need to get accustomed to this!
- Did you get used to it yet?
- Did you get accustomed to it yet?
Tip for using “used to“ correctly
There are no real synonyms for the verbal phrase “used to,” as it can only be replaced by restructuring the sentence with phrases.
| Synonyms (verb) | Examples |
| In the past | We used to play at the park a lot. |
| In the past, we played at the park a lot. | |
| Long ago | She used to study for hours before exams. |
| Long ago she had always studied for hours before exams. | |
| In days gone by | They used to party until the sunrise. |
| In days gone by they had partied until the sunrise. |
| Synonyms (adj.) | Examples |
| Accustomed | Over time, I got used to to my new college. |
| Over time, I got accustomed to my new college. | |
| Habituated | She had to get used to the situation. |
| She had to get habituated to the situation. |
Using the phrase “use to”
“Use to” is merely a variant of “used to”, replacing it in sentences with “did,” “didn’t,” or “did not,” when the tense is set to simple past. It thus represents negative statements, sets an emphasis, or helps in questions.
“Use to“ as a verbal phrase
Examples
- She did use to go to the library every day.
- Didn’t he use to drink a lot of coffee?
- They did not use to do things like this in the past.
Tips for using “use to”
Synonyms for “use to” are the same as for “used to” in its verb form. It cannot really be replaced by another verb, you can just rephrase the sentence.
| Synonyms | Examples |
| In the past | Did we use to play at the park a lot? |
| Did we play at the park a lot in the past? | |
| Long ago | She didn't use to study even before exams. |
| Long ago she didn't even study before exams. | |
| In days gone by | They did not use to party until sunrise. |
| They did not party until sunrise, even in days gone by. |
Test yourself!
Practice sheet
To improve your ability to differentiate between “used to” and “use to,” fill in the blanks in the given sentences. The correct answers can be found when you click on the second tab.
- Did you _____ play soccer in middle school?
- She _____ go out with her friends a lot.
- Back in the days, people did not _____ leave that much trash on the streets.
- Get _____ it!
- Our rent _____ be half the amount that it is now.
- I don’t think I can get _____ the new schedule.
- If you didn’t _____ go out every day, you would have had more time to study.
- In the past, there _____ be many more trees in the city.
- I _____ love romance movies, but now they just seem too predictable.
- Let me get _____ the new system myself before asking me questions.
- Did you use to play soccer in middle school?
- She used to go out with her friends a lot.
- Back in the days, people did not use to leave that much trash on the streets.
- Get used to it!
- Our rent used to be half the amount that it is now.
- I don’t think I can get used to the new schedule.
- If you didn’t use to go out every day, you would have had more time to study.
- In the past, there used to be many more trees in the city.
- I used to love romance movies, but now they just seem too predictable.
- Let me get used to the new system myself before asking me questions.
FAQs
As a verbal phrase, used to refers to an action or habit of the past, which is no longer ongoing. It can also be used as an adjective phrase to replace “accustomed to.” Whereas use to is merely a variant of “used to,” used to replace it in sentences with “did,” “didn’t,” and “did not.”
In general, no. There is however the exception when “used to” is used as an adjective. For example in the sentence: “Did you get used to it by now?”
No, “use to” is grammatically correct if used in the right way. In most sentences, “used to” is used, but in negative statements, with an emphasis, or in some questions, you have to use “use to.”
