Prevent-Hinder | Commonly Confused Words

Prevent

/prɪˈvent/

To stop something from happening or to stop someone from doing something

Kate tried to speak, but her tears prevented her.This prevents creating a decision bottleneck."How can we prevent this?

/ˈhɪndə/

To make it difficult for someone or something to progress or develop

The storm will hinder the rescue operations.Construction noise can hinder student concentration.Rain and fog may hinder the flight schedule.

Prevent is used when stopping something from happening before it occurs.
Hinder suggests creating difficulties that delay or obstruct something already in progress.
Think of prevent as blocking an action entirely, while hinder slows it down or makes it harder.
Prevent takes proactive measures to ensure something doesnt start, whereas hinder' reacts to something ongoing.
Use prevent for absolute obstruction and hinder for partial obstruction or delay.