The words principle and principal are pronounced in the same way but they do not have the same meaning.

这两个词principle和principal读音相似，但是这两个词的含义不同。

Principle is normally used as a noun meaning ‘a fundamental basis of a system of thought or belief’, as in:

Principle一般作名词用，表示“一种思想体系中的基本原理或原则”，比如：

This is one of the basic principles of democracy.

这是民主主义的基本原则之一。

Principal, on the other hand, is normally an adjective meaning ‘main or most important’, as in:

另一方面，Principal常被用作形容词，表示“主要的或最重要的”，比如：

one of the country’s principal cities

这个国家最重要的城市之一

Principal can also be a noun, where it is used to refer to the most senior or most important person in an organization or other group, such as ‘the deputy principal’. It may also refer to a sum of money lent or invested, on which interest is paid, such as in 'the principal on the loan'.

Principal同样可以用作名词，用来指组织或者团体中最高等或者最重要的人，比如“副校长”。Principal同样也可以用来指“一定量用来投资或借贷的钱（这部分钱需要支付利息）“，比如“贷款的本金”

小练习：

1.Land, (labor) and capital are the three ____ factors of production.

principal principle

2.These machines work on the same ____.

principal principle

答案：principal ；principle

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