A stitch in time saves nine. Actions speak louder than words. Learn what common proverbs mean, when to use them, and how to use them in your own writing.
"A stitch in time saves nine." "Actions speak louder than words." "Don't count your chickens before they hatch." Proverbs are short sentences that carry the wisdom of generations, and they appear in speech, stories, speeches, advertisements and examination essays.
This guide explains what a proverb is, how proverbs differ from idioms and quotations, and how to use them correctly in speaking and writing. Its main part gives 109 common English proverbs grouped by theme, each with its meaning and the situation in which it is used. It also covers the origins of some famous proverbs, proverbs that give opposite advice, common mistakes, key points, ten practice questions and a teacher activity.
It builds on Sentence Structure and Formal vs. Informal English, and it will help with the word choice discussed in Common Errors in English. Spelling in this guide follows British English.
A proverb is a short, well-known sentence that expresses a general truth or piece of advice based on common experience. Proverbs are usually passed on by word of mouth, and most do not have a single known author.
Most proverbs share these features:
Almost every language has proverbs, and many languages share similar ideas in different words, which is one reason why proverbs are a good way to learn about other cultures.
These terms are often confused. The differences matter when you write about language.
| Term | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Proverb | A complete sentence of traditional advice or truth | Practice makes perfect. |
| Idiom | A phrase whose meaning is not clear from its words; it is not always a full sentence | to spill the beans (to reveal a secret) |
| Saying | A general word for any familiar expression, including proverbs | It is a small world. |
| Quotation | Words spoken or written by a known person | The pen is mightier than the sword (from a play by Edward Bulwer-Lytton) |
| Maxim | A short rule of conduct, often formal | Honesty is the best policy. |
| Cliché | An expression that has been used so often that it sounds tired | at the end of the day |
Some proverbs began as quotations from books or plays and then became so common that people forgot their authors. For this reason, the border between a proverb and a quotation is not always sharp.
| Proverb | Meaning | When it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Practice makes perfect. | Repeating a skill again and again makes you excellent at it. | Said to a student who is frustrated by early mistakes in music, sport or writing. |
| Where there is a will, there is a way. | A determined person will find a method to succeed. | Used to encourage someone facing a difficult goal, such as passing an exam after failing once. |
| No pain, no gain. | Success needs hard effort and sometimes discomfort. | Said when someone complains about demanding training or long hours of study. |
| Rome was not built in a day. | Great things take time and steady work. | Used when someone is impatient about slow progress. |
| Many hands make light work. | A task is easier when many people share it. | Said when a family or a class cleans or organises something together. |
| Slow and steady wins the race. | Steady, patient effort beats hasty, uneven effort. | Used to advise a careful student who worries about faster classmates. |
| Nothing ventured, nothing gained. | You cannot gain anything unless you take a chance. | Said to someone afraid to apply for a scholarship or a job. |
| Strike while the iron is hot. | Act at once, while the chance is favourable. | Used when a good opportunity must be taken without delay. |
| You reap what you sow. | Your results match your actions. | Said when a student who studied regularly earns excellent marks. |
| Make hay while the sun shines. | Use a good opportunity while it lasts. | Used when favourable weather, free time or a good situation will not last. |
| The early bird catches the worm. | Those who start early gain the advantage. | Said to someone who wants to arrive early to register or to buy tickets. |
| Proverb | Meaning | When it is used |
|---|---|---|
| A stitch in time saves nine. | Fixing a small problem early prevents a bigger one. | Said when someone repairs a small leak before it ruins the ceiling. |
| Better late than never. | It is better to do something late than not at all. | Used when someone arrives late or submits work after the deadline. |
| Time and tide wait for no man. | Time passes whatever we do, so we must act promptly. | Used to urge someone not to delay an important decision. |
| Procrastination is the thief of time. | Putting things off wastes the time you have. | Said to a student who leaves revision until the night before the exam. |
| Patience is a virtue. | Being able to wait calmly is a valuable quality. | Said to someone who is impatient in a queue or waiting for results. |
| All good things come to those who wait. | Patience is rewarded in the end. | Used to comfort someone who is waiting for a result or an opportunity. |
| Haste makes waste. | Doing things too quickly leads to mistakes and loss. | Said when someone rushes through an answer and makes careless errors. |
| Time is money. | Time is valuable and should not be wasted. | Used in business, where delays cost money. |
| Every dog has its day. | Everyone gets a time of success or good luck. | Said to console someone who has not yet succeeded. |
| A watched pot never boils. | Time seems slow when you wait impatiently. | Said to someone anxiously waiting for exam results. |
| Well begun is half done. | A good start makes the rest of the work easier. | Said at the beginning of a project or a revision plan. |
| Proverb | Meaning | When it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Look before you leap. | Think carefully about the risks before acting. | Said to someone about to sign a contract without reading it. |
| Better safe than sorry. | It is wiser to be careful than to regret later. | Used when someone takes a precaution, such as carrying an umbrella. |
| Prevention is better than cure. | Stopping a problem is easier than fixing it. | Used in health and safety, for example about vaccination or road safety. |
| Don't count your chickens before they hatch. | Do not rely on a result before it has happened. | Said to someone who plans to spend prize money before winning it. |
| Don't put all your eggs in one basket. | Do not risk everything on a single plan. | Used when someone invests all their savings in one business. |
| Once bitten, twice shy. | After a bad experience, you become cautious. | Said when someone avoids a risk because of an earlier loss. |
| Curiosity killed the cat. | Being too curious about other people's affairs can bring trouble. | Used to warn someone not to meddle in a private matter. |
| Two heads are better than one. | Two people solving a problem usually do better than one. | Said when students work together on a difficult question. |
| Experience is the best teacher. | We learn most from practical experience. | Said to someone who has learned a lesson from a mistake. |
| It is no use crying over spilt milk. | Do not waste time regretting what cannot be changed. | Said to someone upset about a mistake already made. |
| Measure twice, cut once. | Check carefully before you act. | Used in craft and in exams: check your answers before submitting. |
| Proverb | Meaning | When it is used |
|---|---|---|
| A friend in need is a friend indeed. | A true friend helps you in difficulty. | Used when a friend helps after a loss or sudden trouble. |
| Birds of a feather flock together. | People with similar interests or characters stay together. | Said when two similar people become friends. |
| Blood is thicker than water. | Family bonds are stronger than other relationships. | Used when relatives support each other despite quarrels. |
| Too many cooks spoil the broth. | Too many people working on one task can ruin it. | Said when many people give conflicting instructions on a project. |
| One man's meat is another man's poison. | What suits one person may displease or harm another. | Used when people have different tastes or needs. |
| Actions speak louder than words. | What people do matters more than what they say. | Said about a person who promises a great deal but does little. |
| A man is known by the company he keeps. | Your friends show what kind of person you are. | Said to a young person who is choosing friends. |
| United we stand, divided we fall. | Unity brings strength; division brings weakness. | Used by leaders urging a team or a nation to stay together. |
| Charity begins at home. | We should care first for our own family and community. | Said when someone asks why help is needed nearby before abroad. |
| Familiarity breeds contempt. | Knowing someone too well may lead to a loss of respect. | Said when closeness leads to disrespect. |
| Out of sight, out of mind. | We quickly forget what we no longer see. | Said about a friend who moved away and stopped calling. |
| Opposites attract. | People who are very different are often drawn to each other. | Said about a friendship between two very different people. |
| Proverb | Meaning | When it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Honesty is the best policy. | Telling the truth brings the best long-term results. | Used when someone admits a mistake instead of lying. |
| Truth will out. | The truth always becomes known in the end. | Said when a lie is discovered. |
| Pride comes before a fall. | Arrogance often leads to failure. | Said to a person who boasts before a competition. |
| Cleanliness is next to godliness. | Being clean is almost a moral duty. | Said to children who ignore washing and tidying. |
| A leopard cannot change its spots. | A person's basic nature does not change. | Said when someone returns to old bad habits. |
| Handsome is as handsome does. | A person should be judged by behaviour, not looks. | Said when a good-looking person behaves badly. |
| Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. | Different people find different things beautiful. | Said when people disagree about art, fashion or looks. |
| Empty vessels make the most noise. | People with little knowledge often talk the loudest. | Said about a boastful person with nothing to show. |
| Still waters run deep. | Quiet people may have great depth of thought or feeling. | Said about a silent student who turns out to be brilliant. |
| Speech is silver, silence is golden. | Sometimes saying nothing is wiser. | Said when someone should not argue or reveal a secret. |
| Never judge a book by its cover. | Do not judge by appearance alone. | Said about a plain shop with excellent goods. |
| All that glitters is not gold. | Attractive things may not be valuable. | Said to someone tempted by a flashy offer. |
| If the cap fits, wear it. | If a criticism applies to you, accept it. | Used when someone reacts defensively to criticism. |
| Proverb | Meaning | When it is used |
|---|---|---|
| A penny saved is a penny earned. | Saving money is as good as earning it. | Said to encourage a child to save pocket money. |
| Money doesn't grow on trees. | Money is limited and must be earned. | Said by parents to children who ask for expensive things. |
| Beggars cannot be choosers. | Those in need must accept what is offered. | Said to someone who complains about a first job offer. |
| Waste not, want not. | If you avoid waste, you will not lack things later. | Said when someone reuses food or materials. |
| You cannot have your cake and eat it too. | You cannot enjoy two incompatible things. | Said to someone who wants to spend savings and keep them. |
| Cut your coat according to your cloth. | Spend only what you can afford. | Said to a family planning a wedding on a limited income. |
| The best things in life are free. | The most valuable pleasures cost nothing. | Used about friendship, family and nature. |
| Penny wise, pound foolish. | Careful with small sums but careless with large ones. | Said about someone who buys a cheap item that breaks quickly. |
| Easy come, easy go. | Money gained without effort is quickly lost. | Said about lottery winnings that disappeared. |
| There is no such thing as a free lunch. | Everything has a cost. | Used about offers that sound too good to be true. |
| A fool and his money are soon parted. | Careless people lose money quickly. | Said about someone who buys things on impulse. |
| Proverb | Meaning | When it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Fortune favours the brave. | Bold people are often rewarded by luck. | Said to someone about to start a risky business. |
| If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. | Keep trying after a failure. | Said to a student who failed a test. |
| Necessity is the mother of invention. | Need drives people to find new solutions. | Said when villagers build a simple pump to solve a water problem. |
| Every cloud has a silver lining. | There is something good in every bad situation. | Said to someone who lost a job but then found a better one. |
| It never rains but it pours. | Bad things tend to happen all at once. | Said when several problems arrive together. |
| A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. | A certain gain is better than a possible larger one. | Said when someone must choose between a safe job and a risky one. |
| The darkest hour is just before the dawn. | Things often seem worst just before they improve. | Said to comfort someone in despair. |
| Great oaks from little acorns grow. | Big things start from small beginnings. | Said about a small business or a young talent. |
| Success comes to those who persevere. | Continued effort leads to achievement. | Said to a student preparing for a competitive exam. |
| Fall seven times, stand up eight. | Never stop recovering from setbacks. | Said to a sportsperson after a heavy defeat. |
| Proverb | Meaning | When it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge is power. | Information and learning give people strength and influence. | Used to encourage reading and education. |
| The pen is mightier than the sword. | Writing and ideas have more influence than force. | Used in debates about journalism, education and peace. |
| A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. | Half-knowledge can mislead and cause mistakes. | Said to someone who gives confident advice after reading one article. |
| Learn to walk before you run. | Master the basics first. | Said to a student who skips the beginner lessons. |
| The proof of the pudding is in the eating. | You judge something by its results. | Said when a new teaching method is tested. |
| Seeing is believing. | People trust what they see. | Said after a demonstration of an experiment. |
| Ignorance is bliss. | Not knowing may be happier. | Said when someone chooses not to read bad news. |
| Live and learn. | You gain wisdom through life's events. | Said after a small mistake. |
| Old habits die hard. | Long-standing habits are difficult to break. | Said about someone who still wakes at five after retiring. |
| It is never too late to learn. | Learning is possible at any age. | Said to an adult who is starting a course. |
| You cannot teach an old dog new tricks. | Older people find it hard to change their ways. | Said, often unfairly, about learning new technology. |
| Proverb | Meaning | When it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. | A regular, early routine improves health and success. | Said to students who stay up late and wake late. |
| An apple a day keeps the doctor away. | Healthy eating prevents illness. | Said when encouraging children to eat fruit. |
| Health is wealth. | Good health is the most valuable possession. | Said at health talks or after an illness. |
| There is no place like home. | Home is the most comforting place. | Said after a long and tiring trip. |
| Home is where the heart is. | Home is wherever your loved ones are. | Said to someone living far from their family. |
| When in Rome, do as the Romans do. | Follow the customs of the place you are visiting. | Said to a traveller visiting a different culture. |
| Don't bite off more than you can chew. | Do not take on more than you can handle. | Said to a student who joins too many activities. |
| A rolling stone gathers no moss. | Someone who never settles gains nothing lasting. | Said about a person who changes jobs constantly. |
| The grass is always greener on the other side. | Other situations seem better than our own. | Said to someone who envies a friend's job. |
| Proverb | Meaning | When it is used |
|---|---|---|
| What goes around comes around. | Your actions will eventually return to you. | Said when someone who cheated is later cheated. |
| Two wrongs don't make a right. | Doing wrong in return does not correct the original wrong. | Said to a child who wants to hit back. |
| Let sleeping dogs lie. | Do not disturb a situation that is calm. | Said to someone who wants to reopen an old quarrel. |
| Don't bite the hand that feeds you. | Do not harm those who help you. | Said to an employee who insults the employer. |
| Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. | Do not discard something valuable while rejecting the bad. | Said when a plan has one flaw but many good parts. |
| Barking dogs seldom bite. | People who threaten loudly rarely act. | Said about a loud bully. |
| Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. | It is better to act positively than to complain. | Said to a group complaining about a problem. |
| You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink. | You can offer help, but you cannot force someone to accept it. | Said about a student who ignores advice. |
| Where there is smoke, there is fire. | Rumours usually have some truth behind them. | Said when gossip persists. |
| What cannot be cured must be endured. | Accept what cannot be changed. | Said about an unavoidable situation. |
Some proverbs are very old, and a few can be traced to a particular book, play or fable.
| Proverb | Origin |
|---|---|
| All that glitters is not gold. | The idea is much older, but the best-known form is linked to Shakespeare, who wrote "All that glisters is not gold" in The Merchant of Venice. |
| The pen is mightier than the sword. | From the 1839 play Richelieu by Edward Bulwer-Lytton. |
| Slow and steady wins the race. | The moral of the fable of the tortoise and the hare, traditionally credited to Aesop. |
| Don't count your chickens before they hatch. | Similar to the old story of the milkmaid who dreams of the money from her milk and spills it. |
| Knowledge is power. | Often credited to the English philosopher Francis Bacon, who wrote about knowledge and power in the 1590s. |
| Necessity is the mother of invention. | The idea appears in Plato's Republic; the English wording is recorded from the sixteenth century. |
| Every cloud has a silver lining. | The image of a "silver lining" on a dark cloud appears in John Milton's Comus (1634). |
| A stitch in time saves nine. | An English proverb recorded in print in the early eighteenth century. |
| Rome was not built in a day. | A medieval French proverb recorded in English in the sixteenth century. |
| Early to bed and early to rise. | Associated with Benjamin Franklin, who printed a version in Poor Richard's Almanack; similar advice existed earlier. |
| When in Rome, do as the Romans do. | Traditionally linked to advice given by St Ambrose of Milan in the fourth century. |
Proverbs reflect different experiences, so some seem to contradict each other. Each is true in the right situation, and a good writer chooses the one that fits.
| Proverb | Opposite proverb | How to choose |
|---|---|---|
| Look before you leap. | He who hesitates is lost. | Use the first when the risk is serious and there is time; use the second when the chance will vanish quickly. |
| Too many cooks spoil the broth. | Many hands make light work. | Use the first when people disagree and get in each other's way; use the second when the work can be divided. |
| Out of sight, out of mind. | Absence makes the heart grow fonder. | Use the first when someone is forgotten; use the second when someone is missed. |
| A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. | Nothing ventured, nothing gained. | Use the first to advise caution; use the second to encourage taking a chance. |
| Better safe than sorry. | Fortune favours the brave. | Use the first for safety; use the second for courage. |
| Haste makes waste. | Strike while the iron is hot. | Use the first against rushing; use the second when time is short. |
Here is how a proverb can support a point in an essay:
Many students believe that success depends on talent alone, but experience shows that regular effort matters far more. A student who revises a little every day will usually outperform one who studies only before the examination. As the proverb says, "Slow and steady wins the race." Patience and discipline, not speed, build lasting success.
Notice that the proverb comes after the explanation, and the following sentence links it back to the argument.
| Mistake | Better habit |
|---|---|
| Changing the wording (A stitch in time saves ten) | Learn the fixed form: A stitch in time saves nine. |
| Taking a proverb literally | Explain the meaning in your own words. |
| Using a proverb that does not fit the situation | Check that the lesson matches the situation. |
| Using too many proverbs in one piece of writing | Choose one strong proverb and place it well. |
| Writing the proverb without explaining it | Add a sentence that links it to your point. |
| Mixing two proverbs (a bird in the bush is worth two in the hand) | Learn each proverb as a whole, then test yourself. |
| Using proverbs in a formal report | Use plain, exact wording. |
Activity: write the first half of ten proverbs on cards and the second halves on other cards. Students match them, then write the situation in which each would be used. Finish by asking them to use one proverb correctly in a short paragraph.
Please note: proverbs vary by country and community, and some have several versions or meanings. This guide gives the most common standard English forms and meanings. The origins noted here are widely reported, but some are traditional attributions and may be debated by historians.
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