Piece vs Quarter

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

Piece

Top 1,000 (very common)A1noun

Quarter

Top 1,000 (very common)A1noun
 PieceQuarter
Pronunciation🇬🇧 /["/piːs/"]/🇺🇸 /["/piːs/"]/🇬🇧 //ˈkwɔːtə//🇺🇸 //ˈkwɔːrtər//
MeaningA part of something larger.A piece of money worth 25 cents.
ExampleCan I have a piece of cake, please?I found a quarter on the ground yesterday.
RegisterNeutralNeutral
How commonTop 1,000 (very common)Top 1,000 (very common)
CEFR levelA1A1
Part of speechnounnoun
Collocationsbig, huge, large, assemble, glue (back) together, put (back) together, in pieces, piece of, bits and pieces, break into pieces, smash into pieces, big, huge, large, assemble, glue (back) together, put (back) together, in pieces, piece of, bits and pieces, break into pieces, smash into pieces, big, huge, large, assemble, glue (back) together, put (back) together, in pieces, piece of, bits and pieces, break into pieces, smash into pieces, amazing, beautiful, brilliant, compose, produce, write, be called something, be entitled something, be titled something, piece by, piece for, piece from, a piece of music, a piece of sculpture, a piece of work, amazing, beautiful, brilliant, compose, produce, write, be called something, be entitled something, be titled something, piece by, piece for, piece from, a piece of music, a piece of sculpture, a piece of work, big, huge, large, assemble, glue (back) together, put (back) together, in pieces, piece of, bits and pieces, break into pieces, smash into piecesquarter dollar, quarter of a dollar, first quarter
Antonymswhole, complete, entirewhole, full
Common mistakesConfused with 'peace'., Used 'pieces' when referring to uncountable nouns incorrectly., Misused as a verb; it is primarily a noun.Confused with 'quart', which is a unit of volume., Mispronounced as 'kwarter' instead of 'kwɔːrtər'., Used inappropriately for 'fourth' in informal contexts.
Usage notesUse this word when talking about parts of whole items, such as a piece of cake or a piece of furniture. It is neutral and widely acceptable in both spoken and written contexts.Commonly used in informal contexts; can refer to a coin, a part of a whole, or a time period.

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Piece
Quarter

Frequently asked questions: Piece vs Quarter

What's the difference between Piece and Quarter?

Piece: A part of something larger. Quarter: A piece of money worth 25 cents.

Are Piece and Quarter the same CEFR level?

Piece: A1, Quarter: A1 on the CEFR scale.

What part of speech are Piece and Quarter?

Piece: noun, Quarter: noun.

Can you show an example of each?

Piece: Can I have a piece of cake, please? Quarter: I found a quarter on the ground yesterday.

Can I use Piece and Quarter interchangeably?

Not always. Piece and Quarter 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.