What is the difference between personal and personnel?

Personal (PER-son-al) means about one person or private. Personnel (per-son-NEL) means the staff of an organisation. Personnel has double n and the stress on the last syllable, 'NEL'. Think of the signs "Staff only" and "Authorised personnel only" – they mean the same thing.

Personal vs Personnel: What's the Difference?

Personal vs Personnel at a glance

personal
/ˈpɜːsənəl/ · adjective
Belonging to or connected with one particular person, often private.
- Please don't read my messages – they're personal.
- She hired a personal trainer to get fit.
“personal” in the vocabulary guide
personnel
/ˌpɜːsəˈnel/ · noun (plural)
The people who work for an organisation, especially the army or a company.
- Only authorised personnel can enter this area.
- The hospital needs more medical personnel.

How to remember it

Personnel has double n and the stress on the last syllable, 'NEL'. Think of the signs "Staff only" and "Authorised personnel only" – they mean the same thing.

Good to know

Personnel takes a plural verb: "Personnel are not allowed...". The personnel department is an older name for human resources (HR).

Common mistakes

Wrong: Can I ask you a personnel question?
Right: Can I ask you a personal question?
Wrong: All personal must wear a helmet on site.
Right: All personnel must wear a helmet on site.

Quick quiz

1.Keep your details safe online.
2.Military were sent to help after the flood.
3.This is my opinion, not the company's.

Pick the right word for each gap.