Faze vs phase
Faze and phase sound the same. Faze is a verb that means to worry or upset someone. Phase is usually a noun that means one stage of something that happens over time.
If bother fits, use faze. If stage fits, or the word comes before in or out, use phase.
faze verb
To make someone worried or unsettled. It is most often used to say that something did not bother a person.
- Tough questions from reporters never seemed to faze the senator.
- The bad news didn't faze her, and she kept working.
phase noun
One stage or part of something that happens in steps over time.
- The rollout moved into its second phase last month.
- Many toddlers go through a phase of saying no to everything.
Watch out
- Phase is also a verb in phase in and phase out, meaning to start or stop something a little at a time. Faze has no such meaning.Managers chose to phase in the changes department by department.
- Faze is informal and is most often used with not or never, to say that someone stayed calm.Tough questions never seemed to faze the senator.
Test yourself
The project is now in its final blank.
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phase. This means a stage of the project, so it is the noun phase.
The loud crowd did not blank the young singer at all.
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faze. The crowd did not worry or upset her.
The city will blank in the new rules over two years.
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phase. To phase in means to start something a little at a time.
Nothing seems to blank him, even when everything goes wrong.
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faze. Nothing bothers him, so this is the verb faze.