What’s the difference between café and coffee?

This week we are looking at two words which are sometimes confused: café and coffee.

café

A café is a place where you can buy drinks and simple meals or snacks. In Britain, cafés often don’t sell alcoholic drinks. Café is sometimes spelled cafe.

Is there an internet café near here?

They’ve opened a cafe in the main square.

coffee

Coffee is a hot drink.

Would you like a cup of coffee?

Find out more in our English Usage article.

This blogpost is based on Collins COBUILD English Usage, written for learners of English. For more examples of English usage points, please visit:  https://grammar.collinsdictionary.com/english-usage.

All opinions expressed on this blog are those of the individual writers, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Collins, or its parent company, HarperCollins.

Related Articles

Other Articles

What’s the difference between its and it’s?

Its and it’s are homophones that are often confused by learners and native speakers of English alike. Here is a short guide to help understand the difference between them. its Its is a possessive determiner. You use its to show that something belongs or relates to a thing, place, animal, or child. The… Read More

What’s the difference between their, there and they’re?

Their, there and they’re are homophones that are often confused by learners and native speakers of English alike. Here is a short guide to help understand the difference between them. their Their is a possessive determiner. You use their to show that something belongs or relates to a thing, place, animal, or child. Read More

What’s the difference between your and you’re?

Your and you’re are homophones that are often confused by learners and native speakers of English alike. Here is a short guide to help understand the difference between them. your Your is a possessive determiner. You use your to show that something belongs or relates to the person or people that you are… Read More