A message is information sent from one person to another. A massage is the rubbing and kneading of muscles. One letter apart and often typed for each other — leave a message, book a massage. The words have completely separate origins.
The core difference
- message — a communication: leave a message, a text message, get the message. Also a verb: message me later.
- massage — the working of muscles by hand: a back massage, massage oil. Also a verb: massage the figures means to adjust them dishonestly.
The tell
Message belongs with messenger and send; massage belongs with masseur and muscle. If someone is sending it, it is a message. If someone is receiving it lying down, it is a massage. The vowels match their families: the e of messenger, the a of masseur.
In use
- message — She left a message on his desk. Did you get my message?
- massage — A neck massage eased the tension. Warm the oil before the massage.
Common slips
- send me a massage → send me a message
- a relaxing message → a relaxing massage
Messenger, message; masseur, massage.
The people and the practice
The person who gives a massage is a masseur (man) or masseuse (woman), both straight from French, or more neutrally a massage therapist. The person who carries a message is a messenger, and the thing the message is about is its messaging — a word marketing borrowed for the overall story a brand tells. The two families never meet.
Where the words come from
Message is from Latin missus, "sent", the same root as mission and missile. Massage is nineteenth-century French, from masser "to knead", with a disputed older source — either Arabic massa "to touch" or Greek massein "to knead". The words met only by accident of spelling.
Frequently asked questions
Is it "text massage" or "text message"?
Text message. A massage cannot be texted — though the slip is one of the commonest autocorrect jokes.
Can message be a verb?
Yes: "I'll message you the address". It has been standard since text messaging made it common.
What does "massage the numbers" mean?
To adjust figures so they look better than they are. It is a figurative use of the kneading sense.