Quick answer
Moral concerns right and wrong — a moral question, a moral person — and as a noun it means the lesson of a story. Morale is the confidence and enthusiasm of a person or group: morale was low. The final E and the shifted stress mark the second word.
The core difference
Related in origin, entirely separate in use.
- moral (MOR-al) — concerning right and wrong; the lesson of a fable.
- morale (mo-RAHL) — spirit, confidence: a boost to morale.
The pronunciation tell
Moral stresses the first syllable; morale the second, and rhymes with canal. If you can hear which you mean, the spelling follows.
Where morale came from
English borrowed it from French moral in the military sense of a force's spirit, and added the E to mark the different pronunciation. So the two words are the same word twice, borrowed at different times for different purposes — which is why they look so alike.
Frequently asked questions
Which word means team spirit?
Morale, with the E, stressed on the second syllable.
What is the moral of a story?
Its lesson — the noun sense of moral, unrelated to morale.
Why do they look so similar?
Both come from the same French and Latin root. English borrowed the word twice, adding the E the second time to mark the new pronunciation.
