Cool MateLabour vs Struggle
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Labour
Top 2,000 (common)B2noun
Struggle
Top 1,000 (very common)B2verb
Most common: Struggle
| Labour | Struggle | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈleɪbə(r)/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈleɪbər/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈstrʌɡl/","/ˈstrʌɡlz/","/ˈstrʌɡld/","/ˈstrʌɡlɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈstrʌɡl/","/ˈstrʌɡlz/","/ˈstrʌɡld/","/ˈstrʌɡlɪŋ/"]/ |
| Meaning | Physical work, especially hard work. | To try hard to do something difficult. |
| Example | The workers organized a strike to demand better conditions and fair labour practices. | She had to struggle through the difficult exam to pass her class. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | B2 | B2 |
| Part of speech | noun | verb |
| Collocations | manual, physical, back-breaking, withdraw, productivity, camp, manual, physical, back-breaking, withdraw, productivity, camp, free, organized, wage, force, market, pool, difficult, easy, long, go into, induce, room, ward, pains, in labour | desperately, hard, manfully, have to, against, along, down, struggle to your feet, badly, really, clearly, through, with, struggle to make ends meet, fiercely, furiously, violently, against, with, struggle free |
| Antonyms | leisure, idleness, inactivity | succeed, flourish, thrive |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'labor' (American English spelling)., Using 'labour' as a verb incorrectly., Overusing 'labour' in casual conversations; better to use 'work' instead. | 'Struggled' vs 'struggles' confusion - using the wrong tense., Omitting 'to' when saying what one struggles to do., 'Struggles with' is sometimes mistakenly used with objects instead of actions. |
| Usage notes | Use 'labour' in contexts related to work, especially when discussing physical tasks or efforts. Avoid in casual settings without a clear reference to work. | Use 'struggle' when discussing challenges or difficulties, both physically and mentally. It's appropriate in most contexts, from casual conversations to more serious discussions about issues. |
Frequently asked questions: Labour vs Struggle
What's the difference between Labour and Struggle?
Labour: Physical work, especially hard work. Struggle: To try hard to do something difficult.
Which is more common: Labour and Struggle?
Struggle is the most common in everyday English.
Are Labour and Struggle the same CEFR level?
Labour: B2, Struggle: B2 on the CEFR scale.
Can I use Labour and Struggle interchangeably?
Not always. Labour and Struggle 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.