Personal vs Personnel: Which One Do You Need?
Personal means private or individual. Personnel means the staff of an organisation.
A personal matter. Military personnel.
The test that settles it
The double n word is about people in the plural. If you mean one person’s own, it is personal.
“a ___ question” → private, so personal.
“trained ___” → staff, so personnel.
Personal: private, individual
An adjective. It marks something as belonging to or concerning one particular person. Stressed on the first syllable.
Keep your personal details safe.
That is a personal opinion.
She took it personally.
Swap in private or individual. If it works, personal.
Personnel: the people employed
A collective noun for the staff of an organisation, especially a large or uniformed one. Stressed on the last syllable: per-son-EL.
All personnel must sign in.
Emergency personnel attended.
The personnel department.
Swap in staff. If it works, personnel.
Side by side
| Personal | Personnel |
|---|---|
| Private, individual | The staff |
| Adjective | Collective noun |
| PER-son-al | per-son-EL |
| Personal belongings | Airline personnel |
The exception
Personnel are required to wear passes, not is required. It refers to people, so it behaves as a plural.
The department, however, is singular: Personnel is on the second floor.
Where people get it wrong
| Incorrect | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| a personnel matter between us | a personal matter between us | Private. |
| All personal must report at eight. | All personnel must report at eight. | Staff. |
| personel | personnel | Double n, one l — then -nel. |
| Personnel is required to attend. | Personnel are required to attend. | Plural. |
Practice — choose the right word, then check yourself.
- Please do not read my ___ correspondence.
- Only authorised ___ may enter.
- She has a ___ interest in the outcome.
- Naval ___ were evacuated.
- He asked a very ___ question.
Show the answers
1. personal 2. personnel 3. personal 4. personnel 5. personal
Frequently asked
Is personnel dated?
The department name largely gave way to human resources, but the word survives strongly in military, aviation and emergency contexts.
What about personable?
A third word entirely — it means pleasant and easy to get on with.
More words people confuse
