What is the difference between “used to”, “be used to” and “get used to”?

Used to + verb: past habits and states

Use it for things that were regularly true in the past and are not now:

• I used to live in Lisbon.

  a past state — I don’t live there now

• We used to play football every Sunday.

  a past habit

• There used to be a cinema here.

  a past situation

Questions and negatives use did and the form use to (without d):

• Did you use to work there?

  question

• I didn’t use to like coffee.

  negative

Used to only exists in the past. For present habits, use the present simple with usually: I usually walk to work.

Would can also describe repeated past actions in stories — Every summer we would go to the coast — but not past states: I would live in Lisbon does not mean I used to live in Lisbon.

Be used to: accustomed

Be used to describes something that feels normal because you have experienced it a lot. It works in any tense:

• She’s used to long shifts.

  noun

• I’m not used to driving on the left.

  -ing form

• When I arrived, I wasn’t used to the noise.

  past

• You’ll be used to it in a month.

  future

Get used to: becoming accustomed

Get used to is the change from strange to normal:

• It took me a year to get used to the climate.

  the process

• I’m getting used to my new job.

  in progress now

• You’ll get used to it.

  a common reassurance

Side by side

Pronunciation

In all three, used to is pronounced /juːstə/ — “yoost-tuh” — not like the past of use (/juːzd/). Saying it with a /z/ sound is a common learner giveaway.

Common mistakes

• ✗Not: I am used to work late.

  ✓Better: I am used to working late.

  after be used to, use -ing

• ✗Not: I use to go to the gym.

  ✓Better: I used to go to the gym. (past) / I usually go to the gym. (present)

• ✗Not: Did you used to live here?

  ✓Better: Did you use to live here?

• ✗Not: I’m not used to the weather yet. I hope I’ll used to it.

  ✓Better: I hope I’ll get used to it.

• ✗Not: When I was a child, I would have a dog.

  ✓Better: When I was a child, I used to have a dog.

  would is not used for past states like have, live, be

Practise

Write three pairs of sentences about yourself:

• I used to …

  something you did before but don’t do now

• I’m used to …

  something that feels normal to you now

• I’m getting used to …

  something you are still adjusting to