Cool MateMy wife's expecting vs Pregnant
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
My wife's expecting
Top 2,000 (common)
Pregnant
Top 5,000 (fairly common)B2adjective
Most common: My wife's expecting
| My wife's expecting | Pregnant | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //maɪ waɪf ɪs ɪkˈspɛktɪŋ//🇺🇸 //maɪ waɪf ɪs ɪkˈspɛktɪŋ// | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈpreɡnənt/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈpreɡnənt/"]/ |
| Meaning | My wife is going to have a baby. | When a woman has a baby growing inside her body. |
| Example | My wife's expecting, so we're preparing the nursery. | She is pregnant with her first child. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 5,000 (fairly common) |
| CEFR level | - | B2 |
| Part of speech | adjective | |
| Collocations | expecting a child, expecting a baby, my wife is expecting | be, look, become, heavily, very, visibly, by, with, six weeks, three months, etc. pregnant |
| Antonyms | - | infertile, non-pregnant |
| Common mistakes | Confusing 'expecting' with other unrelated meanings., Changing 'expecting' to 'expecting a' which sounds awkward., Using 'my wife is pregnant' instead of 'my wife's expecting' in informal contexts. | Confusing with 'expecting' — both mean similar things but may fit different contexts., Using to describe people who are not pregnant., Mixing up with similar sounding words like 'present' or 'presents'. |
| Usage notes | Use this phrase in casual conversations when discussing a pregnancy. It's mildly formal and can be used in both social and family settings. | Commonly used in medical contexts and everyday conversations. It's appropriate in most settings but can be sensitive in discussions about family planning or health. |
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Frequently asked questions: My wife's expecting vs Pregnant
What's the difference between My wife's expecting and Pregnant?
My wife's expecting: My wife is going to have a baby. Pregnant: When a woman has a baby growing inside her body.
Which is more common: My wife's expecting and Pregnant?
My wife's expecting is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
My wife's expecting: My wife's expecting, so we're preparing the nursery. Pregnant: She is pregnant with her first child.
Can I use My wife's expecting and Pregnant interchangeably?
Not always. My wife's expecting and Pregnant are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.