Gorilla vs Guerrilla: Which One Do You Need?
A gorilla is the animal. A guerrilla is an irregular fighter.
A mountain gorilla. Guerrilla warfare.
The test that settles it
The fighter comes from Spanish guerra, war — hence the ue. The animal has none.
“___ marketing” → unconventional tactics, so guerrilla.
“a silverback ___” → the animal, so gorilla.
Gorilla: the great ape
The largest living primate. Figuratively, a large intimidating person, or in business the dominant player — the 800-pound gorilla.
The gorilla enclosure at the zoo.
Mountain gorillas in Rwanda.
They are the 800-pound gorilla of the sector.
Is it an animal, or a metaphor built on one? Then gorilla.
Guerrilla: an irregular fighter
A member of a small independent force fighting a larger regular army. As a modifier it means unconventional and improvised.
Guerrilla forces held the hills.
A guerrilla campaign lasting a decade.
Guerrilla marketing on a tiny budget.
Is it about irregular tactics? Then guerrilla.
Side by side
| Gorilla | Guerrilla |
|---|---|
| The animal | An irregular fighter |
| No ue | Has ue, from Spanish guerra |
| One r after the o | Double r |
| A gorilla in the wild | Guerrilla tactics |
The exception
Guerilla appears widely and is listed as a variant in some dictionaries, but guerrilla is the standard spelling and the one that matches the Spanish.
Where people get it wrong
| Incorrect | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| gorilla warfare | guerrilla warfare | Fighters, not apes. |
| a guerrilla at the zoo | a gorilla at the zoo | The animal. |
| gorilla marketing | guerrilla marketing | Unconventional tactics. |
| guerrila | guerrilla | Double r, double l. |
Practice — choose the right word, then check yourself.
- The film features a ___ named Koko.
- The army faced a long ___ campaign.
- A startup relying on ___ tactics.
- ___ habitat is shrinking fast.
- He is the 800-pound ___ in this market.
Show the answers
1. gorilla 2. guerrilla 3. guerrilla 4. Gorilla 5. gorilla
Frequently asked
Do they sound the same?
Almost, in English. In Spanish the ll gives a Y sound: geh-REE-ya.
Where does gorilla come from?
From a Greek account of hairy people seen on the African coast, applied to the ape in 1847.
More words people confuse
