drill and practice share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. drill means “make a hole, especially with a pointed power or hand tool”. practice means “a customary way of operation or behavior”. practice is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈdɹɪl/
1.v.make a hole, especially with a pointed power or hand tool
“don't drill here, there's a gas pipe”
2.v.train in the military, e.g., in the use of weapons
3.v.learn by repetition
“We drilled French verbs every day”
/ˈpɹæktəs/
1.n.a customary way of operation or behavior
“it is their practice to give annual raises”
2.n.systematic training by multiple repetitions
“practice makes perfect”
3.n.translating an idea into action
“a hard theory to put into practice”
| drill | practice | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈdɹɪl/ | /ˈpɹæktəs/ |
| Said | dril | PRAK-tuhs |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Letters | 5 | 8 |
| Parts of speech | verb, noun | noun, verb |
| Senses | 9 | 10 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | bore | pattern |
Full entry for drill · Full entry for practice · More comparisons