The adjectives electric and electrical are easy to confuse as they are very close in meaning. Close but not identical. So what’s the difference between them?
We use electric to talk about things that need electricity to work, e.g. we say an electric guitar, an electric kettle, an electric car.
We bought a new electric cooker.
Electric is also used in an electric atmosphere (=full of excitement).
The atmosphere in the exam room was electric.
On the other hand, electrical is used to refer to electricity-powered things in general as well as people whose job is to make or repair them.
This supermarket sells not only food but also clothes and small electrical appliances such as kettles, coffee machines and toasters.
We need a certified electrical engineer to rewire the house.
Hopefully, next time you need to choose between electric and electrical, you’ll have no trouble picking the right one.
