Personal-Personnel | Commonly Confused Words
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Master confusing words with ease

Personal vs. Personnel

Personal

/ˈpɜːrsənl/
Related to someone's private life or individual characteristics

Examples:

It was part of her personal war against the Party.She felt no other personal attachment.Not for any personal reason, for I am indifferent about verbs;

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Personnel

/ˌpɜːsəˈnel/
People who work for an organization or are employed in one place

Examples:

American Occupation personnel had made a mess of the place.The company hired more personnel for the new project.As personnel manager, Linda oversees recruitment processes.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

This word has no antonyms

Ways to tell them apart:

etymology
  • Personal has an a and relates to an individual, whereas personnel has an e and refers to people collectively.
  • Think of personal as about a person, and personnel as a group of persons.
  • Personal is often about privacy or items belonging to you, while personnel is about employees or staff.
  • Remember, personal is singular and private, while personnel is plural and public.
  • When you need a team or staffing, think personnel. When it's about yourself, think personal.
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