class and grade share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. class means “a collection of things sharing a common attribute”. grade means “a body of students who are taught together”. class is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈklæs/
1.n.a collection of things sharing a common attribute
“there are two classes of detergents”
2.n.a body of students who are taught together
“early morning classes are always sleepy”
3.n.people having the same social, economic, or educational status
“the working class”
/ˈɡɹeɪd/
1.n.a body of students who are taught together
“early morning classes are always sleepy”
2.n.a relative position or degree of value in a graded group
“lumber of the highest grade”
3.n.the gradient of a slope or road or other surface
“the road had a steep grade”
| class | grade | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈklæs/ | /ˈɡɹeɪd/ |
| Said | klas | grayd |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 5 | 5 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | noun, verb |
| Senses | 9 | 13 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | category, family | class, form, course |
Full entry for class · Full entry for grade · More comparisons