One vs. Won

One vs Won

Do you not know when to use one vs won? Use this page to discover one vs won examples. You can also use this page to learn the definition of one vs won.
One refers to the numeral “1” and means “a single unit”:

He had one chance and couldn’t miss it.

Won is the past tense of “win”:

She won the race easily.

When to Use One vs. Won

The word one refers to a single unit of something and is how the number “1” is written out (as in “one year old”) in print. One also can be used as a pronoun to refer to a generic single person or thing (as in “One never knows”).

The word won is the past tense of the verb “win,” which means to achieve victory (as in “won the game”).

Examples of One vs. Won

One vs Won Example #1) They grabbed one large donut and two napkins.

(In this sentence, “one” is the written form of the number “1.”)

One vs Won Example #2) One can never be too careful around strangers.

(In this sentence, “one” is the pronoun referring to a single person.)

One vs Won Example #3) Franklin High School won the championship.

(In this sentence, “won” is the past tense of “win.”)

How to Remember the Difference between One vs Won

Like many homophones, these words are confusing because they sound alike but their meaning and spelling are different.

To decide which to use one vs won in a sentence, simply replace the “one/won” in question with another number, “two,” for example. If the sentence still makes relative sense with “two,” you should use the word “one.” If it no longer makes sense with “two” as a replacement, you should use “won.”

Theory Into Practice: One vs Won

Is the underlined word correct? See if you can tell.

One should always address elders as “sir” or “ma’am.”

Right: This example uses the pronoun for a single person, and “one” is correct.

The Chicago Bulls one the game against Houston.

Wrong: This example refers to a victory and should use “won.”

I want to make sure I get at least one slice of that wedding cake.

Right: This example shows an amount, and “one” is correct.

Won always has the right to refuse dessert!

Wrong: This example shows the singular pronoun and should use “one.”

She won the hearts of the whole country with her Olympic success.

Right: This example refers to a victory, and using “won” is correct.