English is a very tricky language. A lot of words in the English dictionary tend to confuse people. This confusion is not just among the non-speakers of English but also among people whose first language is English.

Two of the most confusing words in English are Of and Off. These are two words that are commonly used while speaking, writing or talking in English. These are so frequently used, that people tend to use one word in place of the other.

These two words are pronounced in the same way and they sound the same, but the meaning of both the words is very different. They are used in a very different scenario.

Most people often use these words interchangeably, but the meaning of these words is so different that they can never be used interchangeably.

Of vs Off

The main difference between the word Of and Off is that Of is a preposition that is used to show a connection between someone or something. It shows possessiveness. On the other hand, the word Off means away from something or someone. It shows the act of detachment.

Comparison Table Between Of and Off

What is Of?

Of is one of the most commonly used words in the English language. It is one of the oldest English prepositions. This word is used in a lot of English sentences. It is used to show some connection or relationship between someone or something with another thing or person.

Of is a function word and shows the origin, belongingness and similar things. The main use of this word is to define when something or someone is connected to a noun. In short, it shows some kind of possession or belonging.

The word Of is basically a proposition of cause, origin, direction and distance. It has several other meanings like coming from, apart from, separated from and so on. It can only be used as a preposition. The word cannot be made into a phrasal word.

Of is also used to state what something is made of or what something contains. In most cases, the word od is used as a point of reckoning, like North of New York. Examples of how the word can be used are – “Kolkata is the capital of West Bengal”, “Can you bring me a cup of coffee”, and “I am standing in front of your house.”

What is Off?

Off is another common word that is used in the English language. The word has several different meanings.

Among the various functions of the word, the most commonly used functions are that of an adverb and a preposition. The function as an adverb is used most commonly. The meaning of the word ‘Off’ is to show when someone or something is away from the other. The word is used to indicate a disconnection from a place, person or thing. It indicates any kind of physical separation or distance from a position of attachment, union or rest.

In quite a few cases, the word ‘Off’ is used after verbs, which makes it possible to use it as a phrasal verb. Example of such words is, turn off, take off and so on.

Off can also be used to show a case of discontinuance or suspension.

Examples of how the word Off can be used is- “The thief stole the jewellery and ran off”, “Martin fell off the bike yesterday” and “The security guard is off duty today.”

Main Differences Between Of and Off

Conclusion

The word Of and Off are two words that are often confused with one another. Though both these words sound the same and look alike, they cannot be used in place of each other. They have nothing much in common other than the fact that they look alike.

Another important thing to be kept in mind is that these words have a common etymology. This means that both Of and Off are derived from the same word.

However, both these words mean entirely different things, Of is used as a preposition and thus can only be used in places where a preposition is needed. On the other hand, Off is mostly used as an adverb and should be used where an adverb is needed.

In the English language Of is more frequently used word in comparison to Off.

ncG1vNJzZmiZo6Cur8XDop2fnaKau6SxjZympmeUnrOnsdGepZydXZeytcPEnqVmp5Zirq%2BwjKidn2c%3D