The words "since" and "sense" have distinct meanings and grammatical roles. "Since" primarily relates to time or cause. It can be used as a conjunction to indicate a reason or cause ("Since it’s raining, let's stay inside"), as a preposition to refer to a starting point in time ("I’ve lived here since 2010"), or as an adverb indicating time elapsed ("I haven’t seen him since"). In contrast, "sense" pertains to perception, awareness, or understanding. It can function as a noun (e.g., "She has a good sense of humor") or a verb (e.g., "He could sense someone watching him"). "Sense" deals with physical or mental perception, logic, or instinctive awareness. The two words are pronounced differently: "since" sounds like /sɪns/ (rhyming with "mince"), while "sense" sounds like /sɛns/ (rhyming with "fence"). They also come from different etymological roots. To decide which to use, consider if the sentence relates to time or cause ("since") or perception and understanding ("sense"). For example:
- "Since he lost his hearing, he’s developed a heightened sense of touch."
- "I haven’t seen them since last year."
- "She could sense tension in the room."
This difference is important to avoid confusion and communicate clearly.
