Cool MateFlood vs Pour
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Flood
Top 2,000 (common)B1noun
Pour
Top 1,000 (very common)B1verb
Most common: Pour
| Flood | Pour | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/flʌd/"]/🇺🇸 /["/flʌd/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/pɔː(r)/","/pɔːz/","/pɔːd/","/ˈpɔːrɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/pɔːr/","/pɔːrz/","/pɔːrd/","/ˈpɔːrɪŋ/"]/ |
| Meaning | A lot of water that covers land that is usually dry. | To make a liquid flow from one container to another. |
| Example | The flood caused significant damage to the town's infrastructure. | I will pour the milk into the bowl. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | B1 | B1 |
| Part of speech | noun | verb |
| Collocations | catastrophic, devastating, great, cause, come, hit something, strike something, water, plain, damage, be in (full) flood, great, constant, sudden, inundate somebody/something, bring, cause, release, flood of, a flood of memories, in floods of tears | carefully, quickly, gradually, from, into, on, carefully, quickly, gradually, from, into, on |
| Antonyms | drought, dryness | fill, empty |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'flooding' (the ongoing process) and 'flood' (the event)., Using 'flood' with non-water-related contexts., Incorrectly using 'flood' in past or future tense without proper conjugation. | Confusing 'pour' with 'pore' or 'poor'., Using 'pour' as a noun instead of a verb., Saying 'pouring water into the cup' instead of 'pouring the cup with water'. |
| Usage notes | Use 'flood' in contexts related to weather, rivers, or events causing much water. Avoid casual contexts where 'flood' may sound too dramatic. | Used when transferring liquids. Common in cooking, serving drinks, or filling containers. Avoid in formal writing. |
Frequently asked questions: Flood vs Pour
What's the difference between Flood and Pour?
Flood: A lot of water that covers land that is usually dry. Pour: To make a liquid flow from one container to another.
Which is more common: Flood and Pour?
Pour is the most common in everyday English.
Are Flood and Pour the same CEFR level?
Flood: B1, Pour: B1 on the CEFR scale.
Can I use Flood and Pour interchangeably?
Not always. Flood and Pour 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.