Cool MateCareer vs Field
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Career
Top 1,000 (very common)A1noun
Field
Top 1,000 (very common)A2noun
| Career | Field | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/kəˈrɪə(r)/"]/🇺🇸 /["/kəˈrɪr/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/fiːld/"]/🇺🇸 /["/fiːld/"]/ |
| Meaning | The job or profession someone does for a long time. | An open area of land, often used for growing crops or for animals to graze. |
| Example | She decided to change her career after working in finance for ten years. | The children played in the field behind the school. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | A1 | A2 |
| Part of speech | noun | noun |
| Collocations | long, brief, short, build, carve, carve out, last something, span something, begin, break, advancement, development, during somebody’s career, throughout somebody’s career, career in, the height of your career, the peak of your career, a change of career, chequered/checkered, colourful/colorful, turbulent, have, start | cultivated, ploughed/plowed, grass, work in, cultivate, work, across a/the field, through a/the field, (out) in a/the field, playing, sports, football, take, on a/the field, off the field, strong, crowded, male-dominated, dominate, head, lead, include somebody, ahead of the field, chosen, specialist, specialized, work in, open up, in a/the field, outside a/somebody’s field, field of, an expert in the field, a leader in the field, a field of research, work in, experiment, investigation, research, in the field, strong, crowded, male-dominated, dominate, head, lead, include somebody, ahead of the field, energy, force, electric, strength, data, display, input, create, move between |
| Antonyms | unemployment, idleness | building, city, forest |
| Common mistakes | Confusing 'career' with 'job' — a job can be temporary while a career is long-term., Using 'career' as a verb — it is only a noun., Forgetting to use 'a' or 'my' before 'career' in sentences. | Confusing 'field' with 'feild' - remember the spelling!, Using 'field' to describe a non-physical area like responsibility - that's more abstract., Mixing up 'field' with 'area' - make sure you understand the context. |
| Usage notes | Use 'career' when discussing long-term professions or life's work. Avoid using it for temporary jobs or casual work. | Use 'field' to describe agricultural areas or areas of study. It's not used in very casual conversations. |
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Frequently asked questions: Career vs Field
What's the difference between Career and Field?
Career: The job or profession someone does for a long time. Field: An open area of land, often used for growing crops or for animals to graze.
Which is more advanced: Career and Field?
Field is the highest level, at A2, on the CEFR scale.
Are Career and Field the same CEFR level?
Career: A1, Field: A2 on the CEFR scale.
What part of speech are Career and Field?
Career: noun, Field: noun.
Can you show an example of each?
Career: She decided to change her career after working in finance for ten years. Field: The children played in the field behind the school.
Can I use Career and Field interchangeably?
Not always. Career and Field 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.