Cool MateGrade vs Rating
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Grade
Top 1,000 (very common)B1noun
Rating
Top 1,000 (very common)B2noun
| Grade | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ɡreɪd/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ɡreɪd/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈreɪtɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈreɪtɪŋ/"]/ |
| Meaning | A mark or score you get on school work. | A score or value given to something based on its quality. |
| Example | She received a high grade on her math test. | The movie received a high rating from the critics. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | B1 | B2 |
| Part of speech | noun | noun |
| Collocations | final, A, B, achieve, attain, earn, grade point average, sixth, third, etc., enter, start, complete, level, school, in… grade, high, top, low, high, senior, junior, at a/the… grade, on a/the… grade | high, top, low, have, assign (somebody/something), give (somebody/something), climb, improve, rise, scale, system, in a/the rating, rating for, rating on, good, high, low, garner, get, have, go up, improve, pick up, battle, war, success, in the ratings |
| Antonyms | fail, underperform | devaluation, criticism |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'great' — they sound similar but mean different things., Using 'grade' as a verb without clarifying the object — e.g., 'I will grade.' is incomplete., Omitting the article; say 'a grade' instead of just 'grade' when necessary. | Confused with 'raiting', which is not a word., Using 'rating' without an object, e.g., saying 'the rating is' without specifying what is rated., Mixing up 'rating' with 'rate'; the former is a noun, the latter is a verb. |
| Usage notes | Used commonly in educational contexts to refer to scores or levels of quality. In formal writing, 'grade' may refer to classifications, while in informal contexts, it can indicate quality (e.g., 'This is a grade A product'). | Commonly used in contexts like reviews, surveys, and assessments. Avoid in very formal writing where you might prefer 'evaluation' or 'assessment.' |
Frequently asked questions: Grade vs Rating
What's the difference between Grade and Rating?
Grade: A mark or score you get on school work. Rating: A score or value given to something based on its quality.
Are Grade and Rating the same CEFR level?
Grade: B1, Rating: B2 on the CEFR scale.
Can I use Grade and Rating interchangeably?
Not always. Grade and Rating 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.