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Anduy Posted 19 years ago
Vocabulary

Normal vs. Ordinary

I can't distinguish between these two words

Please explain and give some examples to make their difference clearer
Thanks a lot!
  

Top answer

In general, I would say that "normal" suggests that nothing is wrong or strange or especially bad about the thing. "Ordinary" suggests that nothing is unusual or special about it. Here's the best example I can think of -- the parents of a new baby would be relieved to hear that the baby is "normal" (it has the right number of arms and legs and fingers and toes and so on), but they would be insulted if someone called their baby "ordinary" (not special in any way).

— Khoff

  • In general, I would say that "normal" suggests that nothing is wrong or strange or especially bad about the thing.
  • "Ordinary" suggests that nothing is unusual or special about it.
  • Here's the best example I can think of -- the parents of a new baby would be relieved to hear that the baby is "normal" (it has the right number of arms and legs and fingers and toes and so on), but they would be insulted if someone called their baby "ordinary" (not special in any way).
  • In some contexts there would not be much difference.
  • " If you have particular sentences you are wondering about, post them and we will tell you if there is a significant difference.
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7 Answers
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In general, I would say that "normal" suggests that nothing is wrong or strange or especially bad about the thing. "Ordinary" suggests that nothing is unusual or special about it.

Here's the best example I can think of -- the parents of a new baby would be relieved to hear that the baby is "normal" (it has the right number of arms and legs and fingers and toes and so on), but they woul
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They are pretty much the same as far as I'm concerned, but do have a slightly different meaning in some situations.

For me, ordinary has more a feeling of being "not special".
Normal has a feeling of being "usual, standard or especially... NOT strange".

Imagine your Mum has cooked some soup, but she thinks something about it tastes wrong. She asks, "Is it OK?".
You answe
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thank you a lot!
now I can feel it very much better
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normal: within (specified/expected) parameters
ordinary: average parameters, not too good and not too bad
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Ordinary basically means normal, but it's not the same thing, I do what I normally do, not what I ordinarily do, ordinary implies you're usual to everyone else without regard to physical, emotional or mental health, normal is concerned with the three and is never even changing yourself unless you're reinventing yourself, and I have reinvented myself. However the way I changed, was from a confo

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Please distinguish Normal and ordinary thanks
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Generally speaking, normal is used in more scientific-type situations, while ordinary is used in more everyday- type situations. For example:


Your blood sugar and cholesterol levels are normal (not ordinary).


He's just your ordinary (not normal) guy, with a wife and kids, working 9 to 5, 40 hrs. a week.


This is not normal (not ordinary) behavior for a 7 yr. ol

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