Cannon vs. canon

What does cannon mean?

Cannon is a noun which refers to an artillery weapon. Cannon can also be a verb which means to collide with something forcefully.

For example:

• Fire the canons (noun).

• She fired her weapon and it cannoned into the target (verb).

What does canon mean?

Canon is a noun which refers to a general rule or principle, a criteria by which something is judged, a collection of works by a particular author accepted as genuine, a type of priest in the Christian church or a musical composition where the same melody is begun successively.

For example:

• Even though the author never confirmed it, I consider it canon (accepted as genuine).

• He was appointed canon of the church (priest).

What’s the difference between cannon and canon?

Cannon refers to an artillery weapon while canon has a variety of meanings. If you’re not referring to a weapon, the word you’re looking for is probably canon!

• Her painting of a cannon established her in the canon of Australian artists.