Altar or Alter? Learn with tricks.

I have to altar / alter my look.
Can you choose the right word? If no, the post is for you. You can learn the difference between them with an unique trick.

Quick Look

Altar is a noun. It means a holy table in church or temple.
Alter is a verb. it means to change; to become different, or to make somebody or something different.

What is the meaning of Altar?

An altar is a raised platform or table used to worship in Christian ceremonies.
A raised place on which sacrifices (mostly animal) and gifts are offered in some religions.

• Aslan sacrificed his life on the altar of love.

What is the meaning of Alter?

Alter can be used as an transitive and intransitive verb.
It means to change oneself or to change other things, living or non living.

• A girl can alter a man's mind.
• He has altered his face very much.
• Small events can alter the behaviour of a person.

Mind trick: How do you remember altar and alter?

With the simple trick, one can easily memorize the meaning of these words, and their difference also.
Altar with an "a" means table or table like platform. Now with the help of ta's in both words, altar and table, one can easily memorized altar means table.

Altar = table

Alter with an "e" means change. With the help of the "e" at last of the word "change", one easily memorize that alter means to change.
With the help of an "e", one can also learn that alter is a verb as both of the words have an "e".

Alter = change

Altar is a noun.
Alter is a verb.
Memorized! It is easy.

Important Points
In US, alter can mean to remove the sex organs of an animal so that the animal is unable to reproduce.
Alter and altar both have the same pronunciation, "awl-ter".

What is the meaning of Altar boy?

According to Oxford, a boy who help the priest in church services, especially in the Roman Catholic church.

What it the meaning of led to the altar?

According to Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:
If you led to the altar, you get married.
And if you are left at the altar, you do not get married.

In the nutshell
Altar and alter have the same pronunciation but different meaning. Altar with an "a" means table, and alter with an "e" means to change.  

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