There are many words that are pronounced very similarly but have different spelling and definitions. The English words addition or edition are a prime example of this. New writers often confuse these words & even attempt to use them interchangeably. However, this is incorrect. In this post, we will focus on explaining the difference between addition vs edition so that you don’t make this mistake!
Difference Between English Words Addition vs Edition
Just like we saw with the words hun vs hon, very small spelling changes can completely change the meaning of a word. It becomes even more tricky when the words are homophones! Luckily, the difference between the nouns addition and edition is not difficult to understand.
- Addition: Defined as the process of adding something or someone. For example, “mark made a great addition to our basketball team.”
- Edition: Defined as the version of a published work of writing. For example, “I read the latest version of Tom Clancy’s book & it was very good.”
Takeaway: Edition normally refers to the version of a text; addition refers to the process of adding to something.
Sentence Examples For Addition
Here are a few example sentences demonstrating how to use the word addition effectively in your writing.
- The addition of a daily yoga routine provided me with confident energy throughout the day.
- In addition to her duties at work, she also started a side hustle to make some extra money.
- We decided to go on a vacation together as an addition to our list of exciting bucket list activities.
- I decided to add music lessons for my daughter, in addition to her overwhelming interest in sports.
- He wrote thank you notes as an addition to his job application process. This is a great strategy to make a positive impression!
Just like we saw with our analysis of seen or saw, small spelling changes can make a huge difference!
Sentence Examples For Edition
Here are sever sentence examples that demonstrate how to use the word edition in your writing.
- This is the latest edition of the Harry Potter book so you’ll want to read the older copies first.
- The designer edition of this backpack is full of exclusive features that are not really practical.
- You might hear an advertisement say “This item comes only in limited edition so get your hands on one before they’re all gone.”
- Halfway through its first edition and slightly outdated, this item might not be worth purchasing.
- Pre-order now to guarantee yourself an early version of next year’s special edition merchandise!
Just like we saw in the phrases “him and I vs he & I“, small spelling changes can completely change a sentence. So pay close attention to your word choice and spelling!
Addition vs Edition Pronunciation
The words addition & edition are pronounced exactly the same. Just like the words axel vs axle, they are homophones. In simple terms, this means that without proper context you would not be able to detect the difference between addition & edition in a verbal conversation.
New Edition or New Addition
As it turns out, both phrases can be used correctly. This is very similar to the spelling rules around nosy or nosey! However, in the majority of situations the phrase “new addition” is the correct choice.
- If you are referring to the process of adding a new section to your house, a new family member, or a new anything you should use the phrase “new addition”.
- If you are referring to a new version of a publication, you should use the phrase “new edition”. For example, you might say “Mark just read the new edition of the Montreal Gazette.”
As we can see from our analysis of Google n-gram data, addition is used more frequently. This is likely because it has a broader definition and more use cases than the word edition.
Just like we saw when analyzing the words mourning & morning, the popularity of specific words varies over the decades. We can see that addition is used today significantly less today than it was in the 1980s.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is correct to say “a housing addition”. This means you are expanding you house by adding a new room or section to your existing house. Many writers get this confused and incorrectly use the word “edition” instead.
A new baby is an addition to your family. This means you are adding another person to your family! For example, you might say “Congrats to Jamie for having a baby and welcoming a new addition to the family!”
The word edition is normally used to refer to the version of something. In most cases, this word is used to refer to the version of a published book. There may be a first edition, second edition, etc of a specific piece of writing. The edition of the book refers to the sequence and the total number of versions.
“New edition” is the act of publishing a new version of a book, newspaper, or another piece of writing.
Final Thoughts
By now you should be an expert on the difference between edition vs addition. If you are referring to a new version of something, use the word edition. If you are referring to the process of adding something, use the word addition. Pay close attention and you should be able to use them correctly in your writing. If you need some extra help, consider using our quick grammar check tool free of charge!
