precious and previous differ by a single letter, buried far enough into the word to be easy to miss. precious means “characterized by feeling or showing fond affection for”. previous means “just preceding something else in time or order”.
/ˈpɹɛʃəs/
1.adj.characterized by feeling or showing fond affection for
“a cherished friend”
2.adj.of high worth or cost
“diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds are precious stones”
3.adj.held in great esteem for admirable qualities especially of an intrinsic nature
“a valued friend”
/ˈpɹiviəs/
1.adj.just preceding something else in time or order
“the previous owner”
2.adj.(used especially of persons) of the immediate past
“the former president”
3.adj.too soon or too hasty
“our condemnation of him was a bit previous”
| precious | previous | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈpɹɛʃəs/ | /ˈpɹiviəs/ |
| Said | PRESH-uhs | PREE-vee-uhs |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Letters | 8 | 8 |
| Parts of speech | adjective, adverb | adjective |
| Senses | 5 | 3 |
| How common | Common | Common |
| Synonyms | cherished, treasured, wanted | old |
Full entry for precious · Full entry for previous · More comparisons