what is homework vs housework

What’s the difference between homework and housework?

This week we are looking at two words which are commonly confused because of their similar spellings: homework and housework .

Homework  is work that school pupils are given to do at home. You say that pupils ‘ do homework ’. You don’t say that they ` make homework ‘.

Have you done your English  homework ?

Homework is an uncountable noun.

Housework  is work such as cleaning or washing that is done in a house.

She relied on us to do most of the  housework .

Housework is an uncountable noun.

Find out more in our English Usage article .

This blogpost is based on Collins COBUILD English Usage , written for learners of English. For more examples of English usage points, please visit:   https://grammar.collinsdictionary.com/english-usage .

All opinions expressed on this blog are those of the individual writers, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Collins, or its parent company, HarperCollins.

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Confused words: Homework vs. Housework

Work and home are two of the most important places in many of our lives, so it’s no wonder there are so many English expressions related to both places. Many of the most commonly confused words I encounter as a teacher are either related to home or work. Let’s take a quick look at how to remember the difference between four of these common expressions.

Homework is studying you do at home for your school or college. It is usually set by the teacher to be completed before a certain date. For example, the teacher might say “Please complete your writing task for homework and hand it in before the next lesson.”

Housework means chores (everyday tasks) you do around your house or apartment. For example: ironing, washing up, cleaning your house and taking out your trash are all housework tasks. If you feel tired at the end of a long day at work, when you get home you might say “I’m not doing any housework tonight. I’ll do my washing at the weekend instead.”

When talking about our jobs, we don’t use ‘homework’ or ‘housework’. If we are able to work on things for our jobs without leaving our houses we can say that we ‘work from home’. For example “I need to wait for a package to be delivered so I am working from home today.” If you need to stay late at your office to complete some extra work, you can say you are ‘working overtime’ and if you just have too much work to complete, you can say you are ‘overworked’.

Let’s remind ourselves of those expressions:

Housework: chores, like washing and cleaning.

Homework: schoolwork that you do at home

To work from home:  to do your main job (that you earn money for) without leaving your house.

To work overtime:  to stay late at work.

To be overworked:  to have too much work to do.

So, how about you? Who does the housework in your home? Did you have a lot of homework when you were at school? Do you ever work overtime? And, do you feel overworked?

Similar article :  Easily confused words: Sick and Ill

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Difference between HOMEWORK and HOUSEWORK

Learn more about our courses

What’s the difference between homework and housework ?

These two words seem practically identical, but they actually have separate meanings and uses. I’ll clarify that in today’s lesson, so that you can be sure to use the right word.

And at the end I’ll also tell you about a common mistake that English learners often make with homework and housework.

How to use HOMEWORK in English

Homework refers to schoolwork that you do at home.

So if you’re in class, your teacher might give you homework – maybe a worksheet, maybe a book/article to read, maybe an exercise to do or something to research – and then you do that homework outside of class, at home.

Homework is usually extra practice or an additional assignment to help you practice what you learned inside class, or take your learning further.

How to use HOUSEWORK in English

Housework refers to the physical tasks that are necessary to take care of your house or apartment , the place where you live. We usually use housework to refer to cooking, cleaning, and laundry (washing your clothes).

So homework is schoolwork you do at home, and housework involves maintaining your living space.

What about “chores”?

One of my students asked if the word chores means the same thing as housework.

Yes – chores is another word we can use for those things that you have to do around the house. Washing dishes, sweeping the floor, cleaning the toilet, and so on. You probably don’t really enjoy them, but they need to get done.

And it’s also common to use this word chores you have a parent who makes their children help with these tasks. So the parent would say, “you have to do your chores.” You need to do those things around the house that you’re responsible for, like cleaning up your room or maybe helping with the laundry.

HOMEWORK and HOUSEWORK are always singular!

Now here’s an important detail – the word chore is countable, so you can have one chore, two chores, three chores, or a lot of chores to do.

But homework and housework are BOTH considered uncountable . So we always use them in the singular, always homework and housework, never homeworks or houseworks.

They are singular even when they refer to multiple tasks. So even if you have multiple assignments to do and multiple things to do in your house, it’s still only homework and housework.

You can talk about general quantity by saying a little homework/housework or a lot of homework/housework – but don’t use numbers, like “three homeworks,” and don’t add an S, “a lot of houseworks” – it’s not correct.

WORK / WORKS

This rule also applies to the word “work” – most of the time it’s singular.

Don’t say “I have a lot of works to do.” – the correct way would be “I have a lot of work to do.” You can say tasks, you can say projects, you can say assignments, you can say things – those can all be plural, but work is typically singular.

There’s one situation where we can say “works” and that’s specifically when we’re talking about works of art, works of music, or works of literature. So when we’re talking about productions in the artistic world, then sometimes we use works in the plural. For example, this is one of Picasso’s greatest works of art.

But in everyday life, when talking about the work you have to do, it’s always work, singular and same with homework and housework, singular.

Now you know the difference between homework and housework – and remember, doing homework is really important for reviewing and practicing what you learn!

A lot of our courses at Espresso English include homework. Sometimes that’s a quiz so you can test yourself on the lesson, and sometimes the homework is a writing task or speaking task where you can send your answers to our teaching team and get correction and feedback.

Our students often find this the most valuable part of our courses, because then you’re not just watching or reading or listening to me in English, but you’re also using English yourself. It really makes a difference in helping you learn and remember better.

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Hi, I’m Shayna. I create courses helping English as a Second Language learners become more fluent in just a few minutes a day – so they can speak English naturally and confidently in work and daily life.

Hi learners! Today we’ll delve into an interesting English language topic. We’re going to differentiate between the terms “ Homework ” and “ Housework “. Both words seem similar but have distinct meanings and uses. Let’s go!

“ Homework ” (IPA: /ˈhoʊmˌwɜːrk/) refers to tasks assigned to students by their teachers, intended to be completed outside of class, generally at home.

Here are 10 examples:

• The teacher gave us a lot of homework today. (The teacher assigned many tasks)
• I need to finish my math homework before dinner. (I need to complete my math tasks)
• She is diligent about completing her homework every day. (She is conscientious about doing her school assignments)
• He stayed up late to complete his homework . (He stayed up late to finish his school tasks)
• Can you help me with my English homework ? (Can you help me with my English assignments)
• I have homework over the weekend. (I have school tasks to do over the weekend)
• She forgot her homework at home. (She forgot her school assignments at home)
• He was punished for not doing his homework . (He was punished for not completing his school tasks)
• The homework is due tomorrow. (The school tasks need to be completed by tomorrow)
• Our homework involves researching climate change. (Our school assignment involves researching climate change)

Housework ” (IPA: /ˈhaʊsˌwɜːrk/), on the other hand , refers to the general cleaning or maintenance tasks done in a house or apartment.

• I have a lot of housework to do this weekend. (I have many cleaning or maintenance tasks)
• He helps his mother with the housework . (He assists his mother with home chores)
• She dislikes doing housework . (She dislikes cleaning and maintaining the house)
• Can you help me with the housework ? (Can you help me with the home chores)
• We share the housework equally. (We share the cleaning and maintenance tasks)
• He hired a maid to do the housework . (He hired a maid to perform the home chores)
• Washing dishes is part of my housework . (Washing dishes is one of my home chores)
• She does the housework every Sunday. (She does the home chores every Sunday)
• I finished my housework early today. (I finished my cleaning and maintenance tasks early)
• They believe in sharing housework responsibilities. (They believe in sharing home chores)

The distinction between “ Homework ” and “ Housework ” is now clear. “Homework” refers to school assignments completed outside the class, while “Housework” refers to cleaning or maintenance tasks performed at home. Understanding these differences will help refine your English usage.

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Homework vs. housework.

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Jan 18, 2021

What’s the difference between  homework  and  housework ? These two words seem practically identical, but they actually have separate meanings and uses. I’ll explain in today’s lesson, so that you can be sure to use the right word. And at the end I’ll also tell you about a common mistake that English learners often make with homework and housework.

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What’s the Difference Between Homework And Housework?

Here are two words that are often confused.

Homework refers to the tasks you were given by your teacher and that you were supposed to do at home. (In German: “‘Hausaufgaben’)

Perhaps you have your own children now and spend your afternoons helping them with their homework—as your parents might have done years ago.

Housework refers to the everyday tasks or chores that need to be done at home, like washing the clothes, washing the dishes, cleaning and ironing. (In German: ‘im Haushalt anfallende Arbeiten’)

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Definition of housework

Examples of housework in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'housework.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1613, in the meaning defined above

Dictionary Entries Near housework

houseworker

Cite this Entry

“Housework.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/housework. Accessed 25 Sep. 2024.

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Kids definition of housework, more from merriam-webster on housework.

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Meaning of housework in English

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• I do all the housework while he just does the dishes now and again.
• Housework is not so bad if you put some music on and just get on with it.
• Couldn't we get a cleaning lady ? I'd rather not spend every Saturday doing the housework.
• I'm trying to train my boyfriend to do the occasional bit of housework.
• We divide up the housework between us - but he always makes me clean the bathrooms !
• bioremediation
• clean something out
• freshen (someone/something) up
• smarten (someone/something) up
• spiff someone/something up
• spit and polish idiom
• spring-clean

housework | American Dictionary

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Learn the Difference

Difference Between Homework and Housework

Intermediate

What’s the difference between  homework  and  housework ?

And at the end I’ll also tell you about a common mistake that English learners often make with homework and housework.

How To Use HOMEWORK In English

Homework refers to  schoolwork that you do at home.

So if you’re in class, your teacher might give you homework – maybe a worksheet, maybe a book/article to read, maybe an exercise to do or something to research – and then you do that homework outside of class, at home.

Homework is usually extra practice or an additional assignment to help you practice what you learned inside class, or take your learning further.

How To Use HOUSEWORK In English

Housework refers to the  physical tasks that are necessary to take care of your house or apartment , the place where you live. We usually use housework to refer to cooking, cleaning, and laundry (washing your clothes).

So homework is schoolwork you do at home, and housework involves maintaining your living space.

What About “Chores”?

One of my students asked if the word  chores  means the same thing as housework.

Yes – chores is another word we can use for those things that you have to do around the house. Washing dishes, sweeping the floor, cleaning the toilet, and so on. You probably don’t really enjoy them, but they need to get done.

And it’s also common to use this word chores you have a parent who makes their children help with these tasks. So the parent would say, “you have to do your chores.” You need to do those things around the house that you’re responsible for, like cleaning up your room or maybe helping with the laundry.

HOMEWORK And HOUSEWORK Are Always Singular!

Now here’s an important detail – the word chore is countable, so you can have one chore, two chores, three chores, or a lot of chores to do.

But homework and housework are BOTH considered  uncountable . So we  always  use them in the singular, always homework and housework,  never  homeworks or houseworks.

They are singular  even when they refer to multiple tasks.  So even if you have multiple assignments to do and multiple things to do in your house, it’s still only homework and housework.

You can talk about general quantity by saying  a little homework/housework or a lot of homework/housework  – but don’t use numbers, like “three homeworks,” and don’t add an S, “a lot of houseworks” – it’s not correct.

WORK / WORKS

This rule also applies to the word “work” – most of the time it’s singular.

Don’t say “I have a lot of  works  to do.” – the correct way would be “I have a lot of  work  to do.” You can say tasks, you can say projects, you can say assignments, you can say things – those can all be plural, but work is typically singular.

There’s one situation where we can say “works” and that’s specifically when we’re talking about works of art, works of music, or works of literature. So when we’re talking about productions in the artistic world, then sometimes we use works in the plural. For example, this is  one of Picasso’s greatest works of art.

But in everyday life, when talking about the work you have to do, it’s always work, singular and same with homework and housework, singular.

Now you know the difference between homework and housework – and remember, doing homework is really important for reviewing and practicing what you learn!

Course Curriculum

• Difference Between Homework and Housework 20 mins
• Difference Between Accept and Except 20 mins
• Difference Between Ad and Add 10 mins
• Difference Between Adapt and Adopt 30 mins

Home > Blog > Tips for Online Students > The Pros and Cons of Homework

School Life Balance , Tips for Online Students

The Pros and Cons of Homework

Updated: July 16, 2024

Published: January 23, 2020

Remember those nights when you’d find yourself staring at a mountain of homework, eyes drooping, wondering if you’d ever see the light at the end of the tunnel? The debate over homework’s role in education is as old as time. Is it a crucial tool for reinforcing learning or just an unnecessary burden?

For college students, this question takes on new dimensions. Juggling homework with the endless amount of classes, part-time jobs, and social lives can feel like walking on thin ice. The pressure to maintain grades, meet deadlines, and still find time for friends and relaxation can be overwhelming. So, is homework a friend or foe?

Photo by  energepic.com  from  Pexels

The homework dilemma.

A large amount of college students report feeling overwhelmed by their academic workload, leading to high levels of stress and anxiety. According to Research.com , 45% of college students in the U.S. experience “more than average” stress, with 36.5% citing stress as a major impediment to their academic performance. This stress often stems directly from the homework load, leading to symptoms like headaches, exhaustion, and difficulty sleeping. The intense pressure to manage homework alongside other responsibilities makes us question the true impact of homework on students’ overall well-being.

And then there’s the digital twist. A whopping 89% of students confessed to using AI tools like ChatGPT for their assignments. While these tools can be a godsend for quick answers and assistance, they can also undermine the personal effort and critical thinking necessary to truly understand the material.

On the brighter side, homework can be a powerful ally. According to Inside Higher Ed , structured assignments can actually help reduce stress by providing a clear learning roadmap and keeping students engaged with the material. But where’s the balance between helpful and harmful? 

With these perspectives in mind, let’s dive into the pros and cons of homework for college students. By understanding both sides, we can find a middle ground that maximizes learning while keeping stress at bay.

The Pros of Homework

When thoughtfully assigned, homework can be a valuable tool in a student’s educational journey . Let’s explore how homework can be a beneficial companion to your studies:

Enhances Critical Thinking

Homework isn’t just busywork; it’s an opportunity to stretch your mental muscles. Those late-night problem sets and essays can actually encourage deeper understanding and application of concepts. Think of homework as a mental gym; each assignment is a new exercise, pushing you to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information in ways that strengthen your critical thinking skills .

Time Management Skills

Do you ever juggle multiple deadlines and wonder how to keep it all together? Regular homework assignments can be a crash course in time management . They teach you to prioritize tasks, manage your schedule, and balance academic responsibilities with personal commitments. The ability to juggle various tasks is a skill that will serve you well beyond your college years.

Reinforcement of Learning

There’s a reason why practice makes perfect. Homework reinforces what you’ve learned in class, helping to cement concepts and theories in your mind. Understanding a concept during a lecture is one thing, but applying it through homework can deepen your comprehension and retention. 

Preparation for Exams

Think of homework as a sound check and warm-up for exams. Regular assignments keep you engaged with the material, making it easier to review and prepare when exam time rolls around. By consistently working through problems and writing essays, you build a solid foundation that can make the difference between cramming and confident exam performance.

Encourages Independent Learning

Homework promotes a sense of responsibility and independence. It pushes you to tackle assignments on your own, encouraging problem-solving and self-discipline. This independence prepares you for the academic challenges ahead and the autonomy required in your professional and personal life.

The Cons of Homework

Despite its potential benefits, homework can also have significant downsides. Let’s examine the challenges and drawbacks of homework:

Impact on Mental Health

Homework can be a double-edged sword when it comes to mental health . While it’s meant to reinforce learning, the sheer volume of assignments can lead to stress and anxiety. The constant pressure to meet deadlines and the fear of falling behind can create a relentless cycle of stress. Many students become overwhelmed, leading to burnout and negatively impacting their overall well-being. 

Limited Time for Other Activities

College isn’t just about hitting the books. It’s also a time for personal growth, exploring new interests, and building social connections. Excessive homework can eat into the time you might otherwise spend on extracurricular activities, hobbies, or simply hanging out with friends. This lack of balance can lead to a less fulfilling college experience. Shouldn’t education be about more than just academics?

Quality Over Quantity

When it comes to homework, more isn’t always better. Piling on assignments can lead to diminished returns on learning. Instead of diving deep into a subject and gaining a thorough understanding, students might rush through tasks just to get them done. This focus on quantity over quality can undermine the educational value of homework. 

Inequity in Education

Homework can sometimes exacerbate educational inequalities. Not all students can access the same resources and support systems at home. While some might have a quiet space and access to the internet, others might struggle with distractions and lack of resources. This disparity can put certain students at a disadvantage, making homework more of a burden than a learning tool. 

Dependence on AI Tools

With the advent of AI tools like ChatGPT , homework has taken on a new dimension. While these tools can provide quick answers and assistance, they also pose the risk of students becoming overly reliant on technology. This dependence can take away from the actual learning process, as students might bypass the critical thinking and effort needed to truly understand the material. Is convenience worth the potential loss in learning?

Finding the Balance

Finding the right balance with homework means tackling assignments that challenge and support you. Instead of drowning in a sea of tasks, focus on quality over quantity. Choose projects that spark your critical thinking and connect to real-world situations. Flexibility is key here. Recognize that your circumstances are unique, and adjusting your approach can help reduce stress and create a more inclusive learning environment. Constructive feedback makes homework more than just a chore; it turns it into a tool for growth and improvement.

It’s also about living a well-rounded college life. Don’t let homework overshadow other important parts of your life, like extracurricular activities or personal downtime. Emphasize independent learning and use technology wisely to prepare for future challenges. By balancing thoughtful assignments with your personal needs, homework can shift from being a burden to becoming a helpful companion on your educational journey, enriching your academic and personal growth.

Homework has its pros and cons, especially for college students. It can enhance critical thinking, time management, and learning, but it also brings stress, impacts mental health, and can become overwhelming. Finding the right balance is key. 

Focus on quality assignments, maintain flexibility, and make sure your homework complements rather than dominates your life. With a thoughtful approach, homework can support your educational journey, fostering both academic success and personal growth.

How can I manage my time effectively to balance homework and other activities?

Create a schedule that allocates specific times for homework, classes, and personal activities. Use planners or digital calendars to keep track of deadlines and prioritize tasks. Don’t forget to include breaks to avoid burnout.

How can I reduce the stress associated with homework?

To manage stress, practice mindfulness techniques like meditation or deep breathing exercises. Break assignments into smaller, manageable tasks and tackle them one at a time. If needed, seek support from classmates, tutors, or mental health professionals.

Is using AI tools for homework cheating?

While AI tools like ChatGPT can be helpful for quick assistance, relying on them too much can hinder your learning process. Use them as a supplement rather than a replacement for your own effort and critical thinking.

How can teachers make homework more equitable?

Teachers can offer flexible deadlines, provide resources for students who lack them, and design assignments that account for different learning styles and home environments. Open communication between students and teachers can also help address individual challenges.

What are some strategies to make homework more meaningful?

Focus on quality over quantity by designing assignments that encourage deep thinking and application of knowledge. Integrate real-world problems to make homework more relevant and engaging. Provide constructive feedback to help students learn and grow from their assignments.

In this article

At UoPeople, our blog writers are thinkers, researchers, and experts dedicated to curating articles relevant to our mission: making higher education accessible to everyone. Read More

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What is the difference between Homework and housework and If they ask us in an exam example, talk about homework we should talk about what we do at home like ''cleaning or cooking'' etc or just ''schoolwork'' or both ? ?Feel free to just provide example sentences.

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"Housework" means chores like cooking and cleaning. "Homework" always means schoolwork that you do at home.

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Is "homework" countable?

I was wondering if "homework" is countable? I remember it is an uncountable noun when I learned English in middle school.

Suppose now I would like to ask my teacher to hand back my graded "homeworks" of last three times. How shall I ask him?

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4 Answers 4

"Homework" is uncountable since it is treated as a general meaning not a particular item, like "work", "money" etc.

In your case, use "assignment" instead.

May I have my last three graded assignments back please?

• Both 'work' and 'money' are countified and have well-documented plural forms. 'Homeworks' has not got the same pedigree, though some dictionaries license it with caveats. –  Edwin Ashworth Commented Jun 22, 2019 at 18:44

While I've seen the word homeworks used, I've never seen anything legitimate to indicate that it's correct. In any case, you can use the term homework assignments to refer to multiple homework items. That's a fairly common term, at least in American English.

• Thanks! But I don't ask my teacher for assignments, but my homework that I have worked out and handed to my teacher, and the homework is from last three times. How shall I ask him? –  Tim Commented May 22, 2011 at 1:39
• 1 @Tim: In American English, assignments is used for what you describe. In British English, homeworks is at least marginally acceptable — we used it at at least one school I went to, although I do remember it feeling awkward/slangy to me at first. –  PLL Commented May 22, 2011 at 8:10
• What I’ve seen to indicate it is correct is its frequent use by native speakers –  Casey Commented Nov 20, 2021 at 22:37

Traditionally, it is not countable, and most dictionaries list it as such.

However, the Merriam-Webster thesaurus (although not the Merriam-Webster dictionary) does have an entry for homeworks . Moreover, the plural form is used by at least some groups of educated native speakers.

One's best bet is to try to find out if one's audience belongs to a group that tends to use homeworks . If yes, then go ahead and use that word yourself. If not, rephrase as homework assignments or something similar.

Merriam-Webster Thesaurus

Notice that the Merriam-Webster thesaurus has the following entry :

homeworks noun plural of homework Synonyms of homeworks as in schoolwork Synonyms & Near Synonyms for homeworks schoolwork assignments, lessons, reading lectures drills, exercises, practices (also practises ) études, studies

(Interestingly, the Merriam-Webster dictionary entry does not give a plural form for homework .)

Examples of usage by educated native speakers

Such examples are not hard to find at all. For instance, American professors of linguistics, physics, and mathematics, at least, use the word homeworks quite frequently.

All of the examples below are from native speakers, as best as I can tell.

Here are five examples from linguistics professors:

Final grades will be calculated as follows: 30% for homeworks, 20% for the midterm, … Penny Eckert and Ivan A. Sag , Linguistics 1: Introduction to Linguistics (Syllabus), 2011, here . Late assignments are not accepted, but your two lowest-scoring homeworks will be dropped. Adam Jardine , Introduction to Linguistic Theory (Honors) (Syllabus), 2018, here . Homeworks are due at the beginning of class on the days indicated. Emily M. Bender, Linguistics 461: Introduction to Syntax (Syllabus), here . If turned in ​complete​, the homeworks will be graded 8 (well below average), 9 (average), or 10 (well above average​); but 0 if not done. Anthony C. Woodbury, Linguistics 306: Introduction to the study of language (Syllabus), here . Homeworks: 25% (lowest score dropped) Dani Byrd and Toby Mintz , Ling 275: Language & Mind (Syllabus), 2006, here .

Here are five examples from physics professors:

Some homeworks are 'secret' assessment exercises: General GRE, Praxis and Major Field Tests Richard Robinett, Penn State Physics Undergraduate Program Better Practices, 2010, p. 12 here . Homeworks are like sports practice Tom Moore , Teaching General Relativity with Tensors, 2006, here . These concepts can be introduced to students through labs, homeworks, and discussion questions. Brianna Billingsley and Cory Christenson, Incorporating Non-Western Contributions Into the Intro Physics Curriculum, 2019, here . With their flexible design, PhET sims are used in many ways—as demos, homeworks, or inexpensive, accessible lab alternatives—and getting started is easy with our database of over 500 activities. Katherine K. Perkins, Teaching Physics with PhET Simulations: Engaging Students and Increasing Learning (Abstract) 2012, p. 58 here . In this talk, we will outline the reforms—including consensus learning goals, “clicker” questions, tutorials, modified homeworks, and more—and present evidence of the effectiveness of these reforms relative to traditional courses. Katherine K. Perkins, Steven Pollock, Stephanie Chasteen, Steve Goldhaber, Rachel Pepper, Michael Dubson, and Paul Beale, Colorado's Transformed Upper-Division E&M and QM courses: Description and Results (Abstract) 2010, p. 119 here .

And here are five examples from mathematics professors:

Homeworks 1-3 David Blecher, here . There will be two midterm exams, weekly homeworks, and a final exam. Scott Sutherland, MAT 141: Honors Calculus 1 (syllabus), 2012, here . MIT 3.016 Homeworks W. Craig Carter, Mathematics for Materials Science and Engineers, MIT 3.016 (syllabus), 2011, (here) . Click on the link 'Problem Sets and Solutions'; you will reach this page , which is where the word homeworks appears (in the page heading). Homeworks (41/42 Track); Homeworks (51 Track) Andrew Schultz, SSEA 2006: Mathematics Track, 2006, here . All homeworks, except the first one, are due on Thursday at 3:30pm Mike Clancy and David Wagner, CS 70, Spring 2005: Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science, 2005, here .

In searching for examples, I also saw examples of similar usage by professors of comparative literature , philosophy, computer science, chemistry, and sociology.

• Even Wiktionary fails to concede the plural form as a possibility, but this is doubtless an ongoing countification (and 10 years is a substantial time for the evolution to progress). –  Edwin Ashworth Commented Nov 20, 2021 at 16:42
• American professors of physics and mathematics, at least, use the word homeworks... I wonder if I should take seriously pronouncements on quantum physics by English professors... –  Greybeard Commented Nov 20, 2021 at 18:18
• @EdwinAshworth I just looked at Wiktionary , and it says 'usually uncountable, plural homeworks '. The edit that added that note was on 5 October 2015‎. So indeed, things change in ten years! –  linguisticturn Commented Nov 21, 2021 at 17:18
• Whoops, I had SimpleWiktionary , which I didn't know existed. Obviously homeworks is harder. –  Edwin Ashworth Commented Nov 21, 2021 at 17:53
• @Greybeard Apologies if your comment was meant as a joke, but if it wasn't (and for the benefit of those who don't take it as a joke), the answer is, no you shouldn't. And indeed, conversely, if physics or math professors were to start making 'pronouncements' about whether a particular word is acceptable English, you shouldn't take that seriously, either. But that's not what's going on in my answer. My answer simply points out that there is a U.S.-wide, loosely connected group of educated native speakers who rather frequently and unselfconsciously use homeworks in day-to-day life. –  linguisticturn Commented Nov 21, 2021 at 18:38

Ask for "items" or "pieces" of homework.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged nouns uncountable-nouns countable-nouns or ask your own question .

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homework vs. a homework

When is it acceptable to use "a homework?". As an ESL practitioner, I had to look it up, and found a source which says "a homework" is only acceptable among native speakers. So, should non-native speakers just stick to "homework" as uncountable?

• countability

• 4 In the US "homework" is considered to be a "mass" noun and articles are not used. (May be different in the UK or India.) A "homework assignment" is an individual piece of homework and does take an article. –  Hot Licks Commented Jan 13, 2016 at 3:56
• 1 Native speakers don't say a homework . –  GoDucks Commented Jan 13, 2016 at 4:16
• Possible duplicate of Is "homework" countable? –  user24743 Commented Jan 13, 2016 at 5:17

2 Answers 2

Whereas it's foreseeable that some native English speaker could get away with saying, "I have a homework due in second period," to mean that they have a singular homework assignment due then, it isn't standard fare. Native speakers don't say it this way. In 22 years of schooling, from kindergarten through my PhD, I've never heard anyone say it like that. Perhaps the reference is saying that a native speaker could get away with it, while a ESL student could not, which is probably true. Rest assured that "homework" remains an uncountable noun.

• 1 I am old enough to remember when in Britain it wasn't called homework , it was called prep (preparation). In the British public-school (meaning private) system, historically children did not go home . The posh classes sent their little darlings to Dickensian boarding schools which were more like fierce prisons. But words like prep , and matron lingered on into the day-systems of the 1950s. Now prep was not a mass noun. In our first year we got two preps a night e.g. Mon-Maths & French; Tues Latin & Biology etc. –  WS2 Commented Jan 13, 2016 at 9:50
• @WS2 : Sounds absolutely lovely. 'Please, sir, I want some more.' –  Benjamin Harman Commented Jan 13, 2016 at 10:34

In general, you should try to avoid saying "a homework." (As a native speaker, it sounds very strange)

The best reason I can think of why it sounds strange is because the word is indefinite in size. Saying "a" homework contradicts its nature of being indefinite by assigning a size to something that is arbitrary. For example, you can say that I have seven "assignments", but I cannot say that I have seven "homeworks".

(Depending on what your native language is, this may or may not feel natural)

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