Pal is an informal word for “friend”: my old pal from school, they're still pals. But when you address a stranger as pal, it often sounds hostile: Listen, pal, move your car. The tone comes from the voice and what follows. Neutrally, friend.
Could you drop pal into a text?
Write a short message — we'll show the mistakes right away and suggest how to say it more naturally.
The check is taking longer than usual. Your feedback will appear here automatically.
my old pal; be pals with someone; Listen, pal,…
- I met an old pal at the book fair.
- They are still pals even though they now live in different cities.
- Listen, pal, you cannot leave your bicycle across the doorway.
What changed
First versionHe is one of my oldest pal.
RevisionHe is one of my oldest pals.
One of my… picks one person out of many, so the noun after it is plural: one of my oldest pals. The -s is short and easy to drop, but without it the sentence doesn't work.
A pen pal is a friend you write to. A bestie is a best friend, closer than a pal. An acquaintance is someone you know, without the friendship.
Your turn
She is one of my closest ___.
Show the answer
pals — After one of my closest you need pals: she is one of several friends. The singular pal doesn't fit this structure.
Tell about a friend you've known for a long time. Use pal and mention something you do or remember together.
An old pal from school still meets me every month to play chess.
Learn to use new words without mistakes
Write phrases with the words you are learning. LetsWords shows mistakes in usage and grammar, suggests corrections and explains them, and review helps the words stick.