Greatful vs. Grateful – Which Spelling is Correct?

/ October 15, 2019/ Usage

greatful versus grateful

What’s the Difference Between Greatful and Grateful?

These two terms might seem like alternate spellings of the same word at first glance. However, only one of them is correct.

Greatful is an incorrect spelling of grateful. People who use this word think it means to feel thankful for something, but are mixing it up with the spelling of great.

  • I am eternally greatful for your help in saving my life! (wrong spelling, use grateful instead)

Grateful is an adjective that is synonymous with thankful and appreciative.

  • Thank you all for volunteering! Our community is very grateful for your cleanup efforts.

Let’s practice a few ways you can use, and not use, these terms in your sentences to help you avoid mixing them up.

Using Greatful in a Sentence

When to use greatful: Greatful is not a real word, so you mustn’t use this spelling.

For example,

  • The church is greatful for your kind donations. (incorrect spelling, use grateful instead)
  • Thanksgiving is a day when many Americans feel greatful for all the blessings that they have. (incorrect spelling, use grateful instead)

Great is a real word, which is an adjective meaning fantastic or very good. Despite the fact that great and the first syllable of grateful sound the same, they cannot be spelled in the same way. This confuses many people because great is a very common word that they are used to spelling. It would seem natural to spell grateful in the same way. However, doing this would be incorrect. The fact that both great and grateful have strongly positive connotations may also contribute to the confusion.

Using Grateful in a Sentence

When to use grateful: Grateful is the adjective form of gratitude. Its closest synonym is thankful, and it means that someone feels warmly appreciative of some kindness he has received, or something that he has.

For example:

  • I will always be grateful for my family, who is always there for me when I need it the most.
  • She was grateful for the excellent school she was able to attend.

The negative form of this adjective is ungrateful.

There are also a couple of idioms that use grateful:

  • be grateful for small mercies/blessings: be thankful for even small amounts of good fortune, especially when facing a difficult or negative situation
    • It’s horrible to be battling this illness, but I am grateful for small blessings. At least I have some great books to read!
  • The Grateful Dead: A popular musical group
    • Fans of the Grateful Dead are called deadheads and often follow the band on tour around the country.

Remembering Greatful vs. Grateful

One way to remember the correct spelling is to think of sewer grates. We should all be grateful for sewer grates, because without them our streets would flood or we would fall into the sewer. Because grate and the first syllable of grateful share the same spelling, this can act as a mnemonic device.

If that doesn’t help, you could also think of the word ate, in grateful. Most people feel grateful for the food they ate at Thanksgiving, or at other times.

Outside Examples

  • Be grateful for what you have; do not focus on what you don’t have. –Chicago Sun Times
  • Residents of a small Georgia community say they’re heartbroken after a 5-year-old girl was killed in a school bus crash, but also grateful the toll wasn’t far worse. –Houston Chronicle
  • “I am truly grateful and blessed for my time with the NYG. All the best to you. Go Giants.” –New York Daily News
  • Minimalism is ascendant in cocktails and spirits, and for that we should all be grateful. –Wall Street Journal

Quiz: Greatful vs. Grateful

Instructions: Fill in the blank with the correct word, either greatful or grateful.

  • After the long drought, all the farmers were very _____________ for the heavy rains.
  • Even though his parents gave him everything he ever wanted, he never felt _________________.
  • Everyone at the table should say something they are ______________ for before we serve the turkey.
  • I’m so _______________________ for the team of rescuers that saved my dog from the flood!
  • The family is poor, but all the members try to be _____________ for small blessings.

See answers below.

Article Summary

Should I use greatful or grateful? Only one of these two words has the correct spelling.

  • Greatful is a misspelling of grateful, and therefore shouldn’t ever be used.
  • Grateful is an adjective that means thankful for something.

Don’t let the common adjective great confuse you into misspelling grateful.

Answers from Quiz

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  • grateful