Patients vs. Patience – How to Use Each Correctly

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Patients vs. Patience – What’s the Gist?

These words are homophones. Since each one is spelled differently, the likely confusion comes through hearing the spoken words. However, context and careful listening may help determine which word is to use.

  • Patients is a noun.
  • Patience is also a noun.

In spite of their similarities in function and sound, they cannot be substituted.

patients versus patience

How to Use Patients in a Sentence

Patients definition: The noun patients is the plural form of patient and has the following pronunciation: \pā shənts\. It means more than one individual under medical care or treatment.

For example:

  • The emergency room was flooded with patients. (Noun)
  • Many patients found themselves on ventilators as they struggled to breathe. (Noun)

Furthermore, patient, as the singular noun for patients, is unlikely to be the word confused with patience since patient and patience are not homophonous.

By the way, the word patient (pronounced \pā shənt\) is an adjective that means to have forbearance.

How to Use Patience in a Sentence

Patience definition: As a noun, the word patience means having the capacity or the ability of being calm and forbearing toward someone or something.

For example:

  • Parenting a toddler requires a lot of patience. (Noun)
  • The unruly students taxed their teacher’s patience. (Noun)

It is pronounced \pā shən(t)s\. The t sound is more subtle than the same sound in patients, but it is still heard.

Outside Examples of Patients vs. Patience

  • But the agency said it has placed sickened patients in a “designated isolation unit” on the hospital campus. –The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
  • Patients from Everett will be given priority consideration to be housed at the facility that will be run by Beth Israel Lahey Health, according to a statement issued by the office of Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria. –The Boston Globe
  • Cox asked the public for patience now that officials are starting to see a downtrend in infections. –The San Diego Union-Tribune
  • Penny Ickes, a spokesperson for the state Department of Labor & Industry [, said,] “We expect tens of thousands of people to apply, so we are asking for patience.” –The Philadelphia Inquirer

Phrases That Use Patients and Patience

There are several phrases and idioms that use the word patient, patients, or patience, including:

Patient zero: The first person identified as the carrier of a communicable disease.

  • Meticulous contact tracing found the state’s patient zero had recently been out of the country.

Doctors make the worst patients: Knowledgeable people are difficult to teach or treat in their respective areas of expertise.

  • Diagnosing himself, the ill physician proved that doctors make the worst patients.

Trying someone’s patience: Someone who is acting so badly that he would drive the calmest person to frustration.

  • Her refusal to contribute to the daily upkeep of the house was trying everyone’s patience.

Patience is a virtue: Acting in a calm and rational manner is a valuable quality to possess.

  • Expressing kindness and gentleness in his directions, grandpa modeled the proverb that patience is a virtue.

How to Remember These Words

The penultimate letters in both of these words will help you keep them straight and provide a handy mnemonic.

The word tired starts with the letter t and reflects the same letter found in the word patients. Typically, when you are a patient, you are sick and tired.

Conversely, the word calm start with the letter c and the next-to-the-last letter in the word patience is c. When you have patience, you are often calm.

Quiz: Patients or Patience

  • The teenager had run out of _______ after weeks of being at home.
  • She was known for many things but not for her _______.
  • The hospital staff worried that it couldn’t take any more _______.
  • _______ with elective surgeries cancelled their hospital appointments.

Article Summary

Is patients or patience correct? Which one do you want especially since both of them are nouns? If you are dealing with ill people, it is likely that you’ll want patients. If you want to express the idea of a calm demeanor, you need patience.

Just remember, being a patient requires a lot of patience, but you’d never find a “patience” lying in a hospital bed.

  • Patients is a plural noun.
  • Patience is a noun.

Quiz Answers

  1. Patience.
  2. Patience.
  3. Patients.
  4. Patients.