Border vs Boarder
Border and Boarder sound the same and there’s only one letter difference. So, do they mean the same thing? Not at all. Border means a boundary line, often used referring to geography: the border of a state or a country, for example. It can also be a verb that means to form a boundary. Boarder means a person who is getting lodging and meals. As you can see, the two words can hardly be more different! The limits of a country versus a person renting a room with food.
Here are some definitions and examples to help make the use of these words clearer.
Border (noun, verb)
(n) A boundary line or limit, often referring to geographic locations, such as states or countries.
(v) To form a boundary.
Examples:
(n) A map of the United States from 1850 has very different state borders!
(v) Canada borders the US to the north, while Mexico borders it to the south.
In the first sentence above, border means a boundary line of a geographic location, in this case a state. In the second sentence, border is a verb that means forming the boundary. Two countries form a boundary with the US: one to the north and one to the south.
Boarder (noun)
A person renting lodging, which includes meals.
Examples:
The boarders staying at my grandma’s house get two home-cooked meals a day.
My neighbor rents out rooms to boarders for additional income.
In the examples above, the word boarders refer to people renting lodging which includes food. To help you remember the word boarder, think of “room and board”: rent a room and the board is the food included. Another trick to help you remember is “boarding school.” At a boarding school, students live and get their meals there.
Main Points
- Border is a noun that means the boundary of a geographic location, such as a state or country.
- Border is also a verb that means to form such a boundary.
- Boarder is a noun that means a person renting lodging, which includes food.
- To help you remember boarder, think of “room and board” and “boarding school.”