Cool MateHard vs Not so easy to arrange
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Hard
Top 1,000 (very common)A1adjective
Not so easy to arrange
Beyond 10,000 (less common)
Most common: Hard
| Hard | Not so easy to arrange | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/hɑːd/"]/🇺🇸 /["/hɑːrd/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //nɒt səʊ ˈiːzi tə əˈreɪndʒ//🇺🇸 //nɑt soʊ ˈizi tə əˈreɪndʒ// |
| Meaning | Not easy; needing a lot of effort. | hard to organize |
| Example | The exam was very hard, and I struggled to answer all the questions. | Organizing the conference was not so easy to arrange. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Beyond 10,000 (less common) |
| CEFR level | A1 | - |
| Part of speech | adjective | |
| Collocations | be, look, seem, extremely, fairly, very, be, look, seem, extremely, fairly, very, be, feel, look, extremely, fairly, very, rock hard | not so easy to cancel, not so easy to understand, not so easy to find |
| Antonyms | easy, soft, gentle | simple, easy, straightforward |
| Common mistakes | 'Hard' often confused with 'hardly', which means 'barely'., Using 'hard' where 'hardy' (meaning strong) is intended., Misplacing 'hard' in phrasal verbs, e.g., saying 'hard to give up' instead of 'hard to let go'. | Saying 'not easy to arrange' without 'so', Confusing with 'not easy to do', Using it in overly formal contexts |
| Usage notes | Used to describe tasks or situations that require great effort or are difficult to understand. It can be used in both formal and informal settings, but may sound more informal in phrases like 'hard as nails'. | This phrase is often used when tasks or events are more complicated than expected. It's neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. |
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Frequently asked questions: Hard vs Not so easy to arrange
What's the difference between Hard and Not so easy to arrange?
Hard: Not easy; needing a lot of effort. Not so easy to arrange: hard to organize
Which is more common: Hard and Not so easy to arrange?
Hard is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Hard: The exam was very hard, and I struggled to answer all the questions. Not so easy to arrange: Organizing the conference was not so easy to arrange.
Can I use Hard and Not so easy to arrange interchangeably?
Not always. Hard and Not so easy to arrange 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.