Continual vs Continuous

continual

repeated with breaks

continuous

uninterrupted

How to tell them apart

continuOUS = one Unbroken Stream, no gaps. continuAL = repeated Again and again with pAuses in between (the A = gAps).

Test yourself

Fill in the blank: “Only one of these words means repeated with breaks. That word is ______.”

Choose: continual or continuous

Show answer

Answer: continual

Continual means repeated with breaks, which matches repeated with breaks. Continuous means uninterrupted, so it is the wrong choice here.

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