Cool MateJob vs Piece of work
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Job
High-frequency chunkA1noun
Piece of work
Top 3,000 (common)
Most common: Job
| Job | Piece of work | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/dʒɒb/"]/🇺🇸 /["/dʒɑːb/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //piːs əv wɜːk//🇺🇸 //pis əv wɜrk// |
| Meaning | A paid position of regular employment. | A task or job that is difficult or requires a lot of effort. |
| Example | I have a job in a restaurant. | Completing this report is quite a piece of work. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | High-frequency chunk | Top 3,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | A1 | - |
| Part of speech | noun | |
| Collocations | decent, good, great, have, carry out, do, pay, disappear, go, search, ad, advertisement, in a/the job, on the job, out of a job, change jobs, move jobs, a loss of jobs, adequate, decent, good, carry out, do, handle, job in, job on, get the job done, make a good, poor, etc. job of something, odd jobs, bank, inside, do, bungle | real piece of work, difficult piece of work, challenging piece of work |
| Antonyms | unemployment, idleness | - |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'occupation' vs 'job'; 'occupation' can imply a broader career., Saying 'Jobs are important' instead of 'Jobs is important' when referring to the concept., Using 'job' only for manual labor and forgetting it applies to all employment types. | Using it to describe simple tasks instead of difficult ones., Confusing it with 'work of art' which has a different meaning., Adding unnecessary words, like 'a piece of work task'. |
| Usage notes | Use 'job' in both formal and informal settings. It's appropriate to refer to work in any context, but be cautious with implications of stability or permanence when discussing careers. | Commonly used to describe challenging tasks or individuals. Can have a negative connotation when referring to someone's difficult personality. |
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Frequently asked questions: Job vs Piece of work
What's the difference between Job and Piece of work?
Job: A paid position of regular employment. Piece of work: A task or job that is difficult or requires a lot of effort.
Which is more common: Job and Piece of work?
Job is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Job: I have a job in a restaurant. Piece of work: Completing this report is quite a piece of work.
Can I use Job and Piece of work interchangeably?
Not always. Job and Piece of work 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.