Disease vs Infection

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Disease

Top 1,000 (very common) A2 noun

Infection

Top 1,000 (very common) B2 noun

	Disease	Infection
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/dɪˈziːz/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/dɪˈziːz/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/ɪnˈfekʃn/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ɪnˈfekʃn/"]/
Meaning	An illness or sickness that affects a person's body or mind.	When germs or bacteria get into the body and make you sick.
Example	The doctor diagnosed her with a rare disease.	The doctor confirmed that the patient had a bacterial infection in his lungs.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 1,000 (very common)	Top 1,000 (very common)
CEFR level	A2	B2
Part of speech	noun	noun
Collocations	common, obscure, rare, outbreak, have, suffer from, catch, spread, affect somebody, afflict somebody, with a/​the disease, disease in, disease of, a cure for a disease, the incidence of (a) disease, a patient with a disease	nasty, serious, severe, have, suffer, suffer from, develop, occur, spread, in infection, infection from, infection through, a cause of infection, the onset of infection, resistance to infection, nasty, serious, severe, have, suffer, suffer from, develop, occur, spread, in infection, infection from, infection through, a cause of infection, the onset of infection, resistance to infection
Antonyms	health, wellness	health, wellness
Common mistakes	Confused with 'disorder' which refers to a less defined condition., Using 'disease' too casually in everyday conversations., Omitting the article when referring to specific diseases.	Confused with 'inflection' (change in speech), Using 'infection' to refer to non-medical situations, Incorrectly stating a person is an 'infection' instead of having an 'infection'
Usage notes	Commonly used in medical contexts. Not typically used to refer to minor illnesses like colds; more for serious or chronic conditions.	Use 'infection' in medical or health contexts. It's appropriate for conversations with healthcare professionals or when discussing illnesses. Avoid using it in casual or non-serious discussions.

See it in real clips

Human beings are a disease.

The Pitt › S1 E1

no, um, kidney disease, so...

Human beings are a disease.

The Pitt › S1 E1

no, um, kidney disease, so...

Disease

They attack, like white blood cells fighting an infection.

The Pitt › S1 E1

Good pulse and blood pressure. No signs of infection.

They attack, like white blood cells fighting an infection.

The Pitt › S1 E1

Good pulse and blood pressure. No signs of infection.

Infection

Frequently asked questions: Disease vs Infection

What's the difference between Disease and Infection?

Disease: An illness or sickness that affects a person's body or mind. Infection: When germs or bacteria get into the body and make you sick.

Which is more advanced: Disease and Infection?

Infection is the highest level, at B2, on the CEFR scale.

Are Disease and Infection the same CEFR level?

Disease: A2, Infection: B2 on the CEFR scale.

What part of speech are Disease and Infection?

Disease: noun, Infection: noun.

Can you show an example of each?

Disease: The doctor diagnosed her with a rare disease. Infection: The doctor confirmed that the patient had a bacterial infection in his lungs.

Can I use Disease and Infection interchangeably?

Not always. Disease and Infection 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.