COMMONLY CONFUSED WORDS

                                         UNIQUE  OR  ONLY



1.         Unique is an adjective meaning one of a kind.


 A person, place or thing is unique [1]  when there are no other examples like it.


Unique emphasizes different,  (and, typically, better) than all the others in the same category.
People of genius,  extraordinary talent, or exceptional abilities are very often called unique.


Example:


            Mozart was unique.  He composed his first symphony at the age of 5.


Unique can also be used to describe:


§  experiences

§  opportunities



Examples:


Studying English for lawyers with colleagues as both fellow-students and instructor is a unique
experience for me.


John tried hard to convince the investors of the unique opportunity he was offering them to get in
on the ground floor of his new company.



2.         Only describes the numerical singularity [2] of a person, place, or thing.



            Examples:


            He is an only child.  (He has no brothers and sisters.)


This is the only chance I have had to spend studying English in a concentrated, uninterrupted
fashion.  At work, my lessons are always interrupted by phone calls and other distractions.



He is the only person in the office who rides a bike to work. Everyone else drives or takes a bus.




SUMMARY:


Ø  Unique is qualitative.


Ø  Only is quantitative.
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[1]  Pronounce this word:  you-neek.  Stress the second syllable; neek rhymes with week.

[2] The adjective only has the same root as the number one.