Accused vs Suspects

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Accused

Top 2,000 (common) B2 verb

Suspects

Top 2,000 (common)

	Accused	Suspects
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/əˈkjuːz/","/əˈkjuːzɪz/","/əˈkjuːzd/","/əˈkjuːzɪŋ/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/əˈkjuːz/","/əˈkjuːzɪz/","/əˈkjuːzd/","/əˈkjuːzɪŋ/"]/	🇬🇧 //ˈsʌspekt// 🇺🇸 //ˈsʌspɛkts//
Meaning	Said that someone did something wrong or illegal.	People believed to have done something wrong.
Example	She accused him of stealing her lunch.	The police brought in several __suspects__ for questioning.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 2,000 (common)	Top 2,000 (common)
CEFR level	B2	-
Part of speech	verb
Collocations	falsely, unjustly, wrongfully, cannot, of, stand accused of	main suspects, prime suspects, suspects in custody
Antonyms	defended, absolved, exonerated	innocents, victims
Common mistakes	'Accuse' should not be used with 'to'. Instead, use 'accuse someone of doing something.', Confusing 'accused' as a noun and a verb. It's primarily used as a past participle., Using 'accused' without indicating what they are accused of is unclear.	Confusing with 'suspected' which is the past tense., Using 'suspect' as a noun instead of 'suspects' in plural form., Mixing up 'suspects' with 'suspcions'.
Usage notes	Typically used in legal or formal contexts when discussing wrongdoing. Not appropriate for casual conversations.	Used in legal contexts or everyday discussions about someone thought to be guilty. Not suitable for light-hearted topics.

See it in real clips

Agent Carter › S1 E1

Accused of selling weapons to the enemy,

and if we vote the accused guilty...

Breaking Bad › S1 E7

They accused me, at Zachary's, of shoplifting it.

Agent Carter › S1 E1

Accused of selling weapons to the enemy,

and if we vote the accused guilty...

Accused

The Lord Of The Rings › The return of the king

They suspects us.

Peaky Blinders › S1 E1

And I've begun to interrogate suspects vigorously.

The Lord Of The Rings › The return of the king

They suspects us.

Peaky Blinders › S1 E1

And I've begun to interrogate suspects vigorously.

Suspects

Frequently asked questions: Accused vs Suspects

What's the difference between Accused and Suspects?

Accused: Said that someone did something wrong or illegal. Suspects: People believed to have done something wrong.

Can you show an example of each?

Accused: She accused him of stealing her lunch. Suspects: The police brought in several __suspects__ for questioning.

Can I use Accused and Suspects interchangeably?

Not always. Accused and Suspects are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.