Conviction vs Faith

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

Conviction

Top 3,000 (common) C1 noun

Faith

Top 1,000 (very common) B2 noun

Most common: Faith

	Conviction	Faith
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/kənˈvɪkʃn/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/kənˈvɪkʃn/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/feɪθ/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/feɪθ/"]/
Meaning	A strong belief or opinion.	Believing in something or someone without needing proof.
Example	Her conviction for theft led to a five-year prison sentence.	She put her faith in his ability to deliver the project on time.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 3,000 (common)	Top 1,000 (very common)
CEFR level	C1	B2
Part of speech	noun	noun
Collocations	earlier, previous, prior, have, lead to, obtain, be based on, rate, on conviction, conviction against, conviction for, the rate of conviction, absolute, complete, total, have, hold, share, politics, with conviction, without conviction, conviction about, have the courage of your convictions, absolute, complete, total, have, hold, share, politics, with conviction, without conviction, conviction about, have the courage of your convictions	enormous, great, tremendous, have, pin, place, faith in, an act of faith, a lack of faith, a leap of faith, religious, deep, genuine, have, come to, find, healer, healing, through faith, faith in, an article of faith, living, world, Catholic, profess, practise/​practice, keep alive, tradition, community, group, people of different faiths, bad, good, break, in bad faith, in good faith, keep faith with somebody
Antonyms	doubt, uncertainty, indecision	doubt, skepticism, disbelief
Common mistakes	Confused with 'confidence'; they have different meanings., Using 'conviction' as a verb; it's only a noun., Mispronouncing it or stressing the wrong syllable.	Confused as a verb instead of a noun., Misusing in contexts where evidence is required., Spelling errors, such as 'faithe'.
Usage notes	Used in discussions about beliefs, legal contexts, or strong opinions. Avoid in casual conversations unless discussing beliefs seriously.	Used in both personal and religious contexts. It can express trust in people or concepts. Avoid using in overly critical discussions.

See it in real clips

Even if you blow enough smoke to get convictions out of Surrillo,

Conviction

The Lord Of The Rings › The Fellowship Of The Ring

Have you so little faith in your own people?

Chernobyl › S1 E1

But our faith in Soviet socialism...

House Of Cards › S1 E1

Now, have a little faith, Linda.

The Lord Of The Rings › The Fellowship Of The Ring

Have you so little faith in your own people?

Chernobyl › S1 E1

But our faith in Soviet socialism...

Faith

Frequently asked questions: Conviction vs Faith

What's the difference between Conviction and Faith?

Conviction: A strong belief or opinion. Faith: Believing in something or someone without needing proof.

Which is more common: Conviction and Faith?

Faith is the most common in everyday English.

Which is more advanced: Conviction and Faith?

Conviction is the highest level, at C1, on the CEFR scale.

Are Conviction and Faith the same CEFR level?

Conviction: C1, Faith: B2 on the CEFR scale.

What part of speech are Conviction and Faith?

Conviction: noun, Faith: noun.

Can you show an example of each?

Conviction: Her conviction for theft led to a five-year prison sentence. Faith: She put her faith in his ability to deliver the project on time.

Can I use Conviction and Faith interchangeably?

Not always. Conviction and Faith 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.