What is the difference between four and for?

Four is the number 4. For is a preposition that shows purpose, reason, or direction.

How do I remember four vs for?

If you mean the number, use four (with a u). If you are showing purpose or direction, use for .

Is it this gift is for you or four you?

For you — the preposition shows who receives it. Four is only for counting: four seasons in a year.

Level: A2

Four vs For

Four (a number) and for (a preposition) sound the same. Practice choosing the right one with the example sentences below.

🔍 Confused words · pair 19 of 54 ⏱ about 5 minutes 🔊 every sentence has audio

How to use this page

🔊 Listen: click the speaker icon to hear the whole line read aloud.
Word audio: click any word to hear it spoken on its own.
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☑️ Select & practice: tick the checkboxes to choose items, then print them, make a worksheet or flashcards, or start a quiz.
For Matching Game quizzes, choose sentences that include more than one of the words below. If you pick sentences with only one word, the quiz will automatically add a sentence using another word.

Four – means “the number 4.”
He has ______ sisters. – four
We bought ______ apples. – four
There are ______ chairs in the room. – four
The quiz has ______ questions. – four
I woke up at ______ o’clock. – four
She wants ______ tickets. – four
He ate ______ cookies. – four
The book costs ______ dollars. – four
We waited ______ days. – four
There are ______ players on each team. – four
She can speak ______ languages. – four
My family has ______ people. – four
He gave me ______ reasons. – four
I saw ______ birds in the tree. – four
She counted to ______. – four
They arrived at ______ in the afternoon. – four
The dog has ______ legs. – four
He drank ______ glasses of water. – four
She answered ______ questions. – four
There are ______ seasons. – four
He needs ______ pieces of paper. – four
We cooked ______ eggs. – four
She gave him ______ pencils. – four
I have ______ cousins. – four
We walked ______ miles. – four
The car has ______ doors. – four
He can do ______ tricks. – four
They brought ______ bags. – four
The group has ______ members. – four
I invited ______ friends. – four
For – means “to indicate purpose, time, recipient, etc.”
This present is ______ you. – for
She is waiting ______ the bus. – for
He works ______ a big company. – for
I made lunch ______ my sister. – for
Thank you ______ your help. – for
We left ______ school. – for
He is looking ______ his keys. – for
I studied ______ two hours. – for
This letter is ______ my friend. – for
They are waiting ______ dinner. – for
We’re going out ______ lunch. – for
I bought a gift ______ Mom. – for
He asked ______ advice. – for
This cake is ______ my birthday. – for
I have a message ______ you. – for
She left ______ the office. – for
I waited ______ a long time. – for
He’s famous ______ his music. – for
They built a house ______ their parents. – for
She went to the store ______ milk. – for
This job is ______ him. – for
I bought flowers ______ you. – for
He has lived here ______ ten years. – for
Let’s go out ______ dinner. – for
It’s time ______ bed. – for
He left ______ the airport. – for
They cheered ______ their team. – for
I saved this ______ later. – for
This is ______ emergencies only. – for
She wrote a letter ______ her friend. – for

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between four and for?: Four is the number 4. For is a preposition that shows purpose, reason, or direction.
How do I remember four vs for?: If you mean the number, use four (with a u). If you are showing purpose or direction, use for.
Is it this gift is for you or four you?: For you — the preposition shows who receives it. Four is only for counting: four seasons in a year.