Diary vs Dairy – What’s the Difference?

Diary and dairy sound very similar, but they have completely different meanings. This is a common mistake for English learners—and even native speakers mishear them sometimes!

In this funny video, Mia is looking for milk and cheese, so she asks for the diary section. Isabella takes her to the notebooks! That’s when the confusion becomes clear:
• Diary (with an “i”) is a notebook where you write about your day.
• Dairy (with an “a”) refers to milk products like cheese, yogurt, and butter.

This simple but confusing vowel change can lead to misunderstandings at the store, in conversation, or even at work.

The video shows the difference with clear examples, native speaker pronunciation, and real-life context. Watch, laugh, and learn how to pronounce both words correctly so you can use them with confidence.

Want to master more confusing word pairs in English? Watch more videos and download the FluentJoy app to keep improving your everyday English, one small step at a time.