Entire vs Whole

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

Entire

Top 2,000 (common) B2 adjective

Whole

Top 2,000 (common) A2 adjective

	Entire	Whole
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/ɪnˈtaɪə(r)/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ɪnˈtaɪər/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/həʊl/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/həʊl/"]/
Meaning	Whole or complete.	All of something; complete.
Example	He ate the entire pizza by himself.	She ate the whole pizza by herself.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 2,000 (common)	Top 2,000 (common)
CEFR level	B2	A2
Part of speech	adjective	adjective
Collocations	entire country, entire book, entire team, entire life, entire scope	the whole thing, the whole part, whole heart, whole number, whole community
Antonyms	partial, incomplete, broken	partial, incomplete
Common mistakes	Confusing 'entire' with 'whole' in informal situations., Incorrectly using 'entire' with uncountable nouns., Using 'entirely' when 'entire' is needed.	Using 'whole' with plural nouns (e.g., 'whole apples' instead of 'whole apple'), Confusing 'whole' with 'hole', Misplacing 'whole' in a sentence (e.g., 'the whole of them' instead of 'all of them')
Usage notes	Use 'entire' when referring to something completely or fully. It's suitable for most contexts, except very casual conversations where 'whole' might be more common.	Use 'whole' when referring to something in its entirety. It is appropriate in both written and spoken contexts, but may sound less formal in academic writing. Avoid using it with specific countable nouns; instead, use with uncountable or collective nouns.

See it in real clips

You'd have to buy out the entire cabin and the first-class flight attendant.

Better Call Saul › S1 E1

The only way that entire car is worth 500 bucks...

Men have emptied entire clips at them and hit nothing but air.

You'd have to buy out the entire cabin and the first-class flight attendant.

Better Call Saul › S1 E1

The only way that entire car is worth 500 bucks...

Entire

So, I gave a whole bunch of it to the Foursquare gospel church,

The Sopranos › S1 E1

this whole new generation of antidepressants

Top Gear › S1 E1

3,500 for the UK for the whole year.

So, I gave a whole bunch of it to the Foursquare gospel church,

The Sopranos › S1 E1

this whole new generation of antidepressants

Whole

Frequently asked questions: Entire vs Whole

What's the difference between Entire and Whole?

Entire: Whole or complete. Whole: All of something; complete.

Which is more advanced: Entire and Whole?

Entire is the highest level, at B2, on the CEFR scale.

Are Entire and Whole the same CEFR level?

Entire: B2, Whole: A2 on the CEFR scale.

What part of speech are Entire and Whole?

Entire: adjective, Whole: adjective.

Can you show an example of each?

Entire: He ate the entire pizza by himself. Whole: She ate the whole pizza by herself.

Can I use Entire and Whole interchangeably?

Not always. Entire and Whole 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.