Word Choice: Causal vs. Casual

Put the same letters in a different order and you can end up with a completely different word. Sometimes the difference isn’t even a big one. ‘Causal’ and ‘casual’, for example, are very similarly spelled, yet they have nothing in common in terms of how they’re used.

As such, it’s important to take care with these words. And you need to know what they mean!

Causal (Related to Causation)

The adjective ‘causal’ comes from ‘cause’, which means ‘make something happen’. If we refer to a ‘causal’ relationship between two things, then, we’re discussing how one causes the other:

There is a causal connection between exercise and rock-hard abs.

In the sentence above, for example, we’re saying that exercise can cause ‘rock-hard abs’. Admittedly, though, this particular causal relationship only applies for people who eat less pizza than we do.

Casual (Informal)

‘Casual’ is also an adjective, but it refers to something being informal or unserious. This can mean that we only have a passing interest in something. For example, we could say:

To the casual observer, exercising for five hours a day might seem excessive.

But it’s also common to refer to informal clothes, such as jeans or trainers, as ‘casual clothing’.

A slightly different use of ‘casual’ is to mean ‘temporary’ or ‘irregular’. If someone is a ‘casual worker’, for instance, it means they don’t have regular hours and only work when the need arises.

In all cases, though, something is ‘casual’ if it is done on a relaxed, irregular or informal basis.

Causal or Casual?

Since these words have very different uses, it should be easy to avoid mix ups based on their meanings. The real trick is avoiding typos, as ‘causal’ and ‘casual’ do look very similar on the page!

Your best option here is to proofread your work carefully. But if you do have a hard time telling these words apart, keep in mind that ‘causal’ is close in spelling to ‘cause’. Remember:

Causal = Related to causation

Casual = Informal or unserious