Learning · Study
learn by trial and error
learn through mistakes
You learn by trial and error when you improve by trying things and correcting mistakes.
This vs that
I learned it by trial and error.
I learned the poem by heart.
Hear it in real life
Did anyone show you how to fix it?
No, I learned by trial and error.
I learned how to use the software by trial and error.
Which sounds natural?
Psst — which one would you actually say?
The native version is a natural everyday way to describe learning from attempts and mistakes.
The mistake everyone makes
Not: I learned it by trial and errors.
Say: I learned it by trial and error.
'Trial and error' is a fixed uncountable phrase.
Say it together
Whole chunks natives use with it.
learn by trial and error
I learned how to use the camera by trial and error.
Most of us learn by trial and error at first.
Phrases to borrow
More for talking about learning.
learn by doing
You learn by doing, especially with practical skills.
Learning words
Study · Learning: the words around “learn by trial and error”.
More connectionsMore learning words8
More learning words
Your turn: say it out loud
I picked it up by trial and error.
Say it out loud two or three times, until it feels like yours.
learn by trial and error
learn through mistakes
“I learned how to use the software by trial and error.”
heytardy