Cool MateHe's guilty vs Responsible
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
He's guilty
Top 2,000 (common)
Responsible
Top 1,000 (very common)B1adjective
Most common: Responsible
| He's guilty | Responsible | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //hiːz ˈɡɪlti//🇺🇸 //hiz ˈɡɪlti// | 🇬🇧 /["/rɪˈspɒnsəbl/"]/🇺🇸 /["/rɪˈspɑːnsəbl/"]/ |
| Meaning | He did something wrong. | To be someone who can be trusted to do what is right or take care of something. |
| Example | The jury decided that he's guilty of the crime. | She is very responsible when it comes to her job. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | - | B1 |
| Part of speech | adjective | |
| Collocations | he's definitely guilty, prove he's guilty, admit he's guilty | be, become, remain, completely, entirely, fully, for, be, feel, seem, completely, entirely, fully, for, be, feel, seem, completely, entirely, fully, for, be, seem, become, extremely, fairly, very, with, be, become, remain, completely, entirely, fully, for, be, directly, ultimately, to |
| Antonyms | innocent | irresponsible, careless, negligent |
| Common mistakes | Using 'he's guilty' without context makes it unclear., Confusing 'guilty' with 'innocent'., Incorrectly using 'he's guilty' for non-criminal accusations. | Confusing 'responsible' with 'responsive', Using 'responsible' without 'for' when describing duties, Incorrectly spelling 'responsible' as 'responsable' |
| Usage notes | Use in legal contexts or when discussing someone's wrongdoing. Avoid in formal situations unless discussing a court case. | Used to describe someone dependable or accountable. Appropriate in both formal and informal contexts, though overly formal in casual conversations. |
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Frequently asked questions: He's guilty vs Responsible
What's the difference between He's guilty and Responsible?
He's guilty: He did something wrong. Responsible: To be someone who can be trusted to do what is right or take care of something.
Which is more common: He's guilty and Responsible?
Responsible is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
He's guilty: The jury decided that he's guilty of the crime. Responsible: She is very responsible when it comes to her job.
Can I use He's guilty and Responsible interchangeably?
Not always. He's guilty and Responsible 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.