Tenant vs. Tenet: Can You Tell Them Apart?

Two words might sound the same in American English, but when they appear in writing, we see that they have different spellings and mean different things. Such is the case with tenant and tenet, two words that reach the ear similarly sometimes but have no relation.

We will spell out their differences, starting with the definition of a word you probably already know.

The Meaning of the Word Tenant

A tenant is someone who occupies a certain space, such as an apartment or a piece of land. Tenants are often referred to in the context of residential and commercial rentals: i.e., both individuals and businesses can be tenants. For example, a landlord might say she has three tenants in a corner apartment. Another property owner might have fifteen different tenants in an office building.

With that defined, let’s move to what many people may perceive as the more challenging word.

The Meaning of the Word Tenet

A tenet is something that a group of people consider to be generally true. It could be a saying, a piece of history, or a key fact that makes other beliefs easier to follow and understand.

This may strike some as a vaguer concept than that for tenants, so let’s look at a few examples of tenet being properly used:

One tenet of Western economics holds that competition is good for businesses and consumers alike.

Charity toward others, and especially the less fortunate, is a tenet of the Christian faith.

Sabermetics, or the empirical analysis of baseball, has become an increasingly accepted tenet of the sport’s managers during the last decade.

Tenant and Tenet

Because these words have similar pronunciations and spellings, we can easily confuse them. One way to keep them distinct is to remember that tenant ends with an -ant, as does occupant, which also refers to the occupation of something. That can help you recall that one word (tenant) refers to living or working in a certain area while the other (tenet) concerns philosophy and beliefs.

Pop Quiz

Fill in the blanks below with the correct use of either tenant or tenet.

1. Roger wants to split the rent with another _____ to make the apartment more affordable.

2. The central _____ of that activist group is admirable although not original.

3. Julie was eager to sign a lease and become the new _____ in the refurbished condo.

4. The last _____ of that building wanted to open a restaurant but couldn’t get a business license.

5. The court acknowledged that the _____ had rights, even if the rent was in arrears.

  
  

Pop Quiz Answers

1. Roger wants to split the rent with another tenant to make the apartment more affordable.

2. The central tenet of that activist group is admirable although not original.

3. Julie was eager to sign a lease and become the new tenant in the refurbished condo.

4. The last tenant of that building wanted to open a restaurant but couldn’t get a business license.

5. The court acknowledged that the tenant had rights, even if the rent was in arrears.

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