Precede means to come before — a short introduction preceded the talk. Proceed means to go forward or carry on — please proceed. The prefixes decide it: <em>pre-</em> is before, <em>pro-</em> is forward.
The core difference
Both from Latin cedere, to go. Only the prefix differs, and it decides the direction.
- precede — go before: The chairman's remarks preceded the vote.
- proceed — go forward, continue: The trial will proceed.
The spelling trap
Precede ends -cede; proceed ends -ceed. English has only three -ceed verbs — proceed, succeed, exceed — and everything else in the family takes -cede: precede, concede, recede, secede, intercede. Learning the three is easier than learning the rest.
The nouns
Precedence is priority in order. Procedure drops an E — a common misspelling is "proceedure". And proceeds as a plural noun means money received, which is a separate sense again.
Frequently asked questions
Which words end in -ceed?
Only three: proceed, succeed and exceed. Everything else in the family takes -cede.
What is the difference in meaning?
Precede means to come before; proceed means to go forward or continue.
Is it procedure or proceedure?
Procedure, with one E. It drops the double E of proceed.