A habit is something one person does regularly, often without noticing; a custom is a practice accepted in a country, region or group; a tradition is passed down from generation to generation. Checking your phone before bed is a habit, taking off your shoes as a guest is a custom, the whole family gathering at Grandma's for New Year is a tradition.
habit, custom or tradition — can you pick the right one?
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have a habit of + -ing; get into / break a habit; it's the custom (in…) to + verb; a local custom; a family tradition of + -ing; by tradition
- I got into the habit of walking to work, and now I don't need the gym.
- In Japan, it's the custom to take off your shoes before entering a home.
- Our office has a tradition of eating cake together on Friday afternoons.
What changed
First versionIn my family we have a habit of celebrating New Year at my grandmother's.
RevisionIn my family we have a tradition of celebrating New Year at my grandmother's.
We have a habit of… can sound natural when talking about a family, which is why habit slips in here. But a habit belongs to one person. When the whole family does something together year after year, it's a tradition.
In the plural, customs is the checkpoint at a border or airport: It took us an hour to get through customs at the airport. And custom-made means made to order: a custom-made suit.
Your turn
I'm trying to break the ___ of checking my phone in bed.
Show the answer
habit — Checking your phone in bed is one person's habit, and they want to get rid of it. The fixed phrase is break the habit. A custom belongs to a whole country or group, and it isn't something you give up on your own.
Describe a tradition in your family or country. Name the holiday or event and what exactly you do.
In my family we have a tradition of making dumplings together on New Year's Eve.
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