- 2-minute read
- 28th October 2014
Word Choice: Rout vs. Route
Although only separated by one letter, the words ‘rout’ and ‘route’ sound different when spoken. They also have completely different meanings. In this post, we explain their usage so that you can use them correctly in your writing.
Rout
The word ‘rout’, as a noun, means ‘a chaotic and disorderly retreat’ or ‘major defeat’. It is mostly used in a military context and has negative connotations, as a ‘rout’ is a severe defeat. It would be used in a sentence like this:
The hurried retreat quickly turned into a rout.
As a verb, ‘rout’ means to cause a retreat or defeat completely:
The French army routed the enemy troops.
Since it refers to a defeat, ‘rout’ is sometimes used in a sporting context when one team beats another by a big margin.
A lesser-known use of the word ‘rout’ in law is to refer to a disturbance of the peace by a group who intend to riot. This use is fairly obscure, though, so you will only need to know it in very specific circumstances.
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Route
The word ‘route’, as a noun, means ‘a course, way or path taken to get from a start point to a destination’. It is thus the line of travel used to get from one place to another:
Shall we take the scenic route home?
‘Route’ can also be used as a verb meaning ‘to send someone or something by a particular course’, as in the sentence:
All calls were routed through headquarters.
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