Cereal names a grain or a food made from grain. Serial describes something that appears or occurs in a series. You can eat cereal while you read the latest installment of a serial.
Breakfast cereal and a story in installments
- “The children ate cereal before school.” Here the word names a breakfast food. In cereal crops, it refers to grains such as oats, wheat, and corn.
- “The magazine published the novel in serial form.” As an adjective, serial describes publication in installments. As a noun, a serial is a story or program released in parts.
Write serial number with an s
“Check the printer’s serial number before requesting service.” A serial number is an identifier assigned to an item. The spelling shares its first three letters with series.
Try it
“She poured a bowl of ___ while she watched the next episode of the ___.”
Show the answer
Use cereal for the food and serial for the program released in parts.
For more words that sound the same, see the guide to confusing words.
