cause and grounds share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. cause means “events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something”. grounds means “your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief”. cause is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈkɑz/
1.n.events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something
“they are trying to determine the cause of the crash”
2.n.a justification for something existing or happening
“he had no cause to complain”
3.n.a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end
“he supported populist campaigns”
/ˈɡɹaʊndz/
1.n.your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief
“the evidence that smoking causes lung cancer is very compelling”
2.n.the enclosed land around a house or other building
“it was a small house with almost no yard”
3.n.a tract of land cleared for some special purposes (recreation or burial etc.)
| cause | grounds | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɑz/ | /ˈɡɹaʊndz/ |
| Said | kahz | growndz |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 5 | 7 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | noun |
| Senses | 7 | 5 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | none recorded | evidence |
Full entry for cause · Full entry for grounds · More comparisons