Master confusing words with ease
Periodic vs. Sporadic
Periodic
/ˌpɪəriˈɒdɪk/Examples:
The report requires periodic updates for accuracy.Periodic maintenance prevents system failures.He programmed the heater to switch on at periodic intervals.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Sporadic
/spəˈrædɪk/Examples:
The power outages were sporadic throughout the storm.Wildflowers appeared sporadically in the barren field.He made sporadic attempts to learn a new language.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Ways to tell them apart:
- Periodic implies a predictable or regular occurrence, like the ticking of a clock.
- Sporadic suggests randomness and lack of predictability, like raindrops falling on a sunny day.
- Think of periodic as being related to periods or intervals – consistent and planned.
- Consider sporadic as something that happens in spots or bursts, without a set pattern.
- If youre looking at a timetable, events that happen at regular intervals are periodic, whereas those that pop up unexpectedly are sporadic'.
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