stride and strike differ by a single letter, buried far enough into the word to be easy to miss. stride means “a step in walking or running”. strike means “deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon”. strike is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈstɹaɪd/
1.n.a step in walking or running
2.n.the distance covered by a step
“he stepped off ten paces from the old tree and began to dig”
3.n.significant progress (especially in the phrase `make strides')
“they made big strides in productivity”
/ˈstɹaɪk/
1.v.deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon
“The teacher struck the child”
2.v.have an emotional or cognitive impact upon
“This child impressed me as unusually mature”
3.v.hit against; come into sudden contact with
“The car hit a tree”
| stride | strike | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈstɹaɪd/ | /ˈstɹaɪk/ |
| Said | strahyd | strahyk |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 6 | 6 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | verb, noun |
| Senses | 5 | 28 |
| How common | Familiar | Core |
| Synonyms | pace, tread | none recorded |
Full entry for stride · Full entry for strike · More comparisons