VocabAhead

Credible vs Credulous

Credibleadjective

capable of being believed

Credulousadjective

showing a lack of judgment or experience

Full entry for Credulous

The difference

Credible means believable — a property of the claim. Credulous means too ready to believe — a property of the listener. A credible witness; a credulous audience.

How to keep them apart

Add creditable, meaning deserving praise, and you have three words one letter apart. Credible describes what is heard, credulous who hears it.

Other pairs worth knowing

All confused pairs · SAT list · GRE list · Full word list