Personal vs. Personnel How to Choose the Right Word

The words personal and personnel are related in meaning, but theyre not identical. They also belong to different word classes  and theyre pronounced  differently. The adjective personal (with the stress on the first syllable) means private or individual. The noun personnel (stress on the last syllable) refers to the people employed by an organization, business, or service. Both words derive from the Latin word personalis, meaning of or related to a person. How to Use Personal The word personal is an adjective that has two different meanings: It may be used to describe a persons unique preferences or qualities, as in My personal favorite musician is Bruce Springsteen or My personal ability to play baseball is not very impressive. It may also be used to refer to private experiences or items, as in The police even went through his personal correspondence or You have no business tampering with my personal belongings. In contemporary English, personal may also be used as a noun. For example, the personals refer to personal ads in newspapers and online venues, and the term the personal is occasionally used as slang for bathroom or toilet. How to Use Personnel Personnel is a noun referring to employees of a business or organization, as in The personnel at the XYZ company are very happy with their compensation packages. Personnel is also used as an adjective in one specific circumstance: In the past, the personnel office or personnel department of a business was in charge of anything related to hiring, firing, training, or managing the companys employees. In more recent years, the term human resources department emerged to take its place. The human resources department or HR manages everything that the personnel office once handled but may also be involved in helping employees navigate the challenges of the workplace, ranging from work-life balance to diversity training. Examples Quite a few sources warn against confusing personal with personnel. Although these words come from the same root, they are spelled, pronounced, and used differently. In the following examples, both words are used appropriately: Employees files are stored in the personnel department. The files that contain information about employees are stored in the department that manages employee information.Jane was asked to reveal personal information as part of the process of receiving top-secret clearance. A particular individual is asked to reveal private or secret information about herself to receive security clearance.ABC Corporations personnel are required to hold bachelors degrees. The people who work at ABC Corporation must be college graduates.My personal belief is that all people should follow a vegan diet. An individual holds particular views about food. How to Remember the Difference It may be unlikely that youll mix up personal vs. personnel, but these tips will help you if youre not quite sure of which to use: Personnel, which refers to multiple people, has more letters than personal, which refers to just one person.Personnel includes the letter e, which is the first letter in the word employee. Personnel almost always relates to the employees of a business or organization. Related Grammatical Concepts Some grammar experts believe that the word personal is redundant. For example, the meaning of the phrase my personal opinion is really identical in meaning to the phrase my opinion. There are, however, exceptions to this rule; for example: The terms personal secretary and personal computer suggest that the secretary or computer is dedicated to the needs of an individual. Thus, the phrase personal secretary means something different from secretary.The phrase personal scent refers to a customized perfume, intended only for a particular person. There are many perfumes, but only one personal scent for an individual.The word personal can also suggest the concept of private or secret. For example, my personal diary suggests a private diary (as opposed to an online calendar that might be shared with others in an organization). Sources Personal.  Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster.Personal Versus Personnel.  Quick and Dirty Tips, Grammar Girl, 6 Mar. 2019.