even
A1Neutral
Definition
Meaning
A word used primarily as an adverb or adjective to indicate equality, regularity, or to introduce a surprising contrast or extreme example, often functioning as a focus particle to emphasize a particular element in a sentence.
As a verb: to make level or equal. As an adjective: flat, smooth, level; equal in amount, value, or score; uniform and regular in quality, character, or progression. As an adverb: used to emphasize something unexpected, to stress comparisons of equality (as tall as), or to indicate a more precise or extreme case (even more).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
'Even' is a highly polysemous and grammatically multifunctional word. Its primary adverbial use as a focus particle is highly frequent and often challenging for learners due to its subtle impact on sentence meaning and focus. It creates scalar implicatures, suggesting that the focused element is at the extreme or unlikely end of a scale.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in core meaning or grammatical usage. Minor variation in collocational preferences and idiomatic frequency. The phrase 'even so' might be perceived as slightly more formal in AmE.
Connotations
Identical.
Frequency
Equally common and high-frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
S V, even [FOCUSED ELEMENT]Even [FOCUSED ELEMENT], S VS V [COMPARATIVE] even than Xto even [VERB] (AmE informal intensifier, e.g., 'I evened the score')Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “break even”
- “get even with someone”
- “on an even keel”
- “even stevens”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"The company managed to break even in its first quarter." Used in finance to indicate no profit or loss.
Academic
"The results were significant, even when controlling for demographic variables." Used to introduce a concessive or contrasting condition.
Everyday
"I don't even know what to say." Used for strong emphasis in conversation.
Technical
In mathematics: 'an even integer' (divisible by two). In textiles: 'an even weave'.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The groundskeeper will even the pitch before the match.
- She tried to even out the workload among the team.
American English
- He evened the score with a last-minute touchdown.
- The contractor will even the floor before laying the tiles.
adverb
British English
- He didn't even say thank you.
- It's even colder than yesterday.
American English
- I didn't even get a call back.
- She's even smarter than her sister.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The table is not even.
- She likes all fruits, even apples.
- The score is even: 2-2.
- Even if it rains, we'll go for a walk.
- He's not very tall, but his brother is even shorter.
- Can you even imagine that?
- The surface must be completely even for the experiment to work.
- I'll get even with him one day, just you wait.
- Her voice remained calm and even throughout the crisis.
- The distribution of resources was far from even, favouring urban centres.
- He argued persuasively, even brilliantly, but failed to convince the committee.
- Such practices are common, even endemic, within the industry.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a perfectly EVEN table. Everything is level and equal on it. The word itself has a balanced, symmetrical sound and spelling.
Conceptual Metaphor
EQUALITY IS LEVELNESS (an even playing field), INTENSITY/EXTREMITY IS VERTICAL HEIGHT (even higher, the very top of a scale).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating 'even' as 'чётный' unless referring specifically to numbers. The adverbial 'even' is most often 'даже'. 'Even if/though' is 'даже если/хотя'. The adjective 'even' (surface) is 'ровный'.
- Russian часто does not correspond to English 'even'. 'I often go' is not 'I even go'.
- Placing 'even' incorrectly in the sentence changes the focus. 'Even I know that' vs. 'I even know that' have different meanings.
Common Mistakes
- *He can even speaks English. (Correct: He can even speak English.) - 'even' does not affect verb form.
- *Even I was surprised, but my sister wasn't. (Illogical if the sister's surprise is the point of contrast; implies 'I' was the least likely to be surprised).
- Overusing 'even' for mild emphasis, making speech sound unnatural.
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'even' used as a verb?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Even' is a focus particle and is placed immediately before the word or phrase you want to emphasize. Changing its position changes the meaning. Compare: 'Even I like pizza' (unlikely me) vs. 'I like even pizza' (unlikely pizza).
'Even though' is used for a real, known fact (concessive): 'Even though it was raining, we went out.' 'Even if' is used for a hypothetical condition: 'Even if it rains tomorrow, we'll go out.'
For the adjective meaning 'level/regular', the comparative and superlative are usually 'more even' and 'most even'. 'Evener' is non-standard.
Yes, commonly. 'Even the experts were confused.' 'Even so, we must continue.' This is a stylistic choice to immediately introduce the focused element.
Explore