Gilt means covered with a thin layer of gold, while guilt is the fact of having done wrong or the uncomfortable feeling that goes with it. Remember that gilt has gold-like shine and guilt has the u for you: what you feel when you have done wrong.
The core difference
Gilt describes gold-coloured coating, whereas guilt means responsibility for wrongdoing or the troubled feeling that follows it.
- gilt — covered with gold, or the gold finish itself: She bought a gilt mirror for the hallway.
- guilt — responsibility for wrongdoing, or the feeling of it: She felt guilt for forgetting her friend's birthday.
How to tell them apart
Gilt is the past form of the old verb to gild, so something gilt has literally been gilded. It is also the name for a UK government bond and for a young female pig, but the golden sense is the one most often confused with guilt.
Because the two words sound identical, the mix-up only shows in writing. If you are talking about a picture frame, a book edge or a bond, write gilt. If you are talking about a crime, a conscience or an apology, write guilt.
