The Washington Post | August 12, 2023
"Pentagon announces major personnel changes amid strategic review."
Personal vs. Personnel
The '30 Seconds' Difference At A Glance
'Personal' means belonging or relating to a particular person. 'Personnel' refers to people employed in an organisation or engaged in a service.
She keeps her personal life separate from work, where she manages all personnel matters for the company.
A Deeper Look
'Personal' describes anything that belongs to or relates to a particular person - their private matters, their own things, or their individual qualities.
Please don't read my personal diary.
This is a personal matter between me and my sister.
'Personnel' means the people who work somewhere. It's just another word for staff or employees, and it's usually used in more formal or official situations.
All personnel must wear ID badges in the building.
The hospital is short of medical personnel this weekend.
Common Usage Patterns
Personal
Common phrases: personal opinion, personal belongings, personal space, personal matter, personal assistant
Personnel
Common phrases: personnel department, military personnel, medical personnel, personnel file, personnel changes
Key Patterns
'Personal' modifies nouns describing individual matters. 'Personnel' often appears in workplace or organisational contexts.
What Teachers Say
"In business writing, confusion between these words can cause real problems. 'Personnel file' means something very different from 'personal file'."
-- Richard, Toronto
"Think of 'personnel' as plural - it's about groups of people. 'Personal' is about one person's individual matters."
-- Lisa, London
"Students writing formal emails often mix these up. Remember: HR handles personnel matters, while your supervisor discusses personal development."
-- Jun, Hong Kong
From The Headlines
The Times | May 3, 2019
"New data protection laws strengthen personal privacy rights online."
Reuters | October 15, 2014
"Healthcare workers demand better protection as medical personnel face virus risks."
Test Yourself!
1. All _______ must wear identification badges while on company premises.
2. Please keep your _______ items in the lockers provided.
3. The _______ department handles _______ information with strict confidentiality.
