written by Lilian Ndongmo. ESL Teacher

Although fun and funny look and sound similar, these two words are very different. English learners, especially Quebec Francophones, tend to frequently get these words mixed up. Because of the heavy influence of English words in Quebec French,  don’t be surprised to  hear sentences like: “C’est vraiment le fun!”. To express something that is funny, you’ll hear “C’est comique”, which they wrongly translate in English as “It’s comic”.

Meaning

Fun refers to something (or someone) that provides amusement, enjoyment or entertainment.
It can be used in sentences such as:
–          For some painters, working outdoors is great fun.  (enjoyment, pleasurable)
–          My co-worker is fun to work with. (Meaning: I enjoy working with him/her)
–          There’s a fun movie I would like you to watch. (This movie will entertain you)
–          One of the not-so-fun things to do in a party is spike someone’s drink. (Not very amusing)

Funny has to do with something (or someone) that makes you laugh. It can also mean something/someone odd or suspicious.
Use funny in sentences such as:

–          My dog kept fighting with its own shadow; that was very funny to watch. (It made me laugh.)
–          Your joke is not funny. (It didn’t make me laugh or it was odd)
–          When we looked at the $20 bill, we thought there was something funny about it. (suspicious; it looked fake)
–          I feel funny. (informal: I don’t feel well)

Don’t confuse:

1. A funny person (humorous; makes you laugh)
A fun person (entertaining; cause you to enjoy his/her company)

2. It’s funny how people are still easily convinced by advertisement. (odd, bizarre)
Some TV advertisements are fun to watch. (entertaining; cause for amusement)

3. Have fun at the comedy show! (enjoy)
Was the comedy show funny? (Did you laugh?)

If you remember that fun and funny do not have the same meaning and endeavour to use them correctly, you will not make fun of yourself.