ProverbCommunicationEnglish origin

Think twice before you speak once.

Meaning: Hasty words cause irreversible harm; deliberation before speaking prevents regret and misunderstanding.

Origin: A piece of old advice against hasty words, recorded in various forms in English collections. It asks for a moment's reflection before saying something that cannot be taken back.

Explore another collection: False Friends

Words that look familiar in another language but mean something else entirely.

  • Kind Actually means 'child'. For kind (nice), say aardig or vriendelijk.
  • Wet Actually means 'law'. For wet, say nat.
  • Elf Actually means 'eleven'. Elf uur = eleven o'clock.

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