Difference between Win, Earn and Gain

Post author:Harry
Post last modified:06/07/2021
Post category:Ask about English
Reading time:8 mins read

Difference between win, earn and gain could be difficult to understand. However, with my simple and detailed explanations you will be able to grasp the difference in no time at all.

Harry

Harry is a native English teacher with over 10 years of experience both online and in face-to-face lessons. With his extensive experience in business, he specialises in Business English lessons but happily teaches ESL students with any English learning needs.

Difference between Win, Earn and Gain

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In today’s lesson we’re looking at three difficult English verbs GAIN, EARN and WIN. It’s amazing how often I hear students confuse these three verbs.

All three of them have similarities but they’re also different. So let’s make sure that we get this particular mistake out of your English. Let’s start.

Difference between Win, Earn and Gain

We often use GAIN and EARN when we’re talking about money.

For example:

Paul’s company earns money by offering its customers clever logistics solutions.

The company gave him the use of a company car so he gained some benefit from that.

Have you noticed the difference yet?

TO GAIN is something that we don’t necessarily have to work on.

And TO EARN means that we have to work and we have to get paid.

We have to work for a week or a month so we earn that income.

The asset gained $10,000 over a period of time.

We didn’t do anything about it.

For example, we buy a house for 100,000 euro, we sell it for 150,000 euro, so we gain 50,000. And we didn’t work to get that.

Difference between Win, Earn and Gain

Let’s talk about WIN

We don’t

❌ win a salary

❌ win income

but

✔️ we can win a contract

So if we’re competing for a contract in a company, that some other firm and we happen to be told we’re going to get the contract then we win that contract.

When we WIN something, it’s an advantage that we get.

So remember, when we’re talking about money matters or income, GAIN, EARN and WIN are quite different.

Difference between Win, Earn and Gain

In other aspects, GAIN, EARN and WIN have very similar meanings.

For example, if we talk about trust.

✔️ I can gain your trust. When you get to know me.

✔️ I can win your trust by doing something that you feel is trustworthy of me.

✔️ I can earn your trust over a period of time.

So when we’re talking about trust, we can use all three verbs.

✔️ to gain someone’s trust

✔️ to win someone’s trust

✔️ to earn someone’s trust

For example:

He earned their trust over many months having been a very loyal servant.

He gained their trust by helping them in a very difficult situation.

He won their trust after five years of dedicated effort.

Difference between Win, Earn and Gain

If we talk about respect, we can also use all three verbs.

✔️ to gain someone’s trust

✔️ to earn someone’s trust

✔️ to win someone’s trust

We can earn the respect of people by being a hard worker.

We can win their respect by perhaps doing something for them that proves that we are a good boss.

We can gain their respect because we demonstrate to them that we’re helping them to improve themselves.

When we talk about a football match, and if you have a favourite football team, then the football team can win the match or gain a victory.

We can also earn, gain or win the points for winning a football match or a fighting competition.

So when we’re talking about some sports game, then we can use EARN, GAIN and WIN, but three of them with a slightly different meaning.

That hopefully gives you a good indication as to what is the difference between WIN, EARN and GAIN.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me, I’m always willing to listen to your suggestions and if you have something that you want me to cover, please let me know. Okay, well thanks for listening and join me again soon.