Used To vs Be Used To vs Get Used To: The Real Difference

“I used to work remotely.” “I am used to working remotely.” “I am getting used to working remotely.” These three sentences look almost identical, but each one means something completely different. Mixing them up is one of the most common mistakes intermediate and advanced English learners make, and it can change the meaning of what you are trying to say in a meeting or email. Let us sort out the differences once and for all.

”Used to” + infinitive: Past habits and states

“Used to” describes something that was true in the past but is no longer true. It refers to past habits or past states.

Past habits

• “I used to take the train to work, but now I work from home.”
• “We used to hold all our meetings in person.”
• “She used to travel to London every month for work.”

Past states

• “The office used to be much smaller.”
• “English used to be optional for this role, but now it is essential.”
• “There used to be a cafeteria on the ground floor.”

Key points

• “Used to” only exists in the past tense. There is no present form. You cannot say “I use to work from home” to describe a current habit.
• In questions and negatives: “Did you use to work in marketing?” / “I didn’t use to like public speaking.”
• Note: in questions and negatives, the “d” drops from “used” because “did” carries the past tense.

Common mistake

“I used to work here since 2015.” This is wrong. “Used to” describes finished past situations. If you still work there, use the present perfect: “I have worked here since 2015."

"Be used to” + gerund/noun: Being accustomed to something

“Be used to” means something is familiar to you. It is not strange or difficult anymore because you have experience with it. It can be used in any tense.

Present

• “I am used to working in English.” (It is normal for me now.)
• “She is used to managing international teams.”
• “We are used to tight deadlines.”

Past

• “By my second year in London, I was used to the weather.”
• “He was used to presenting to large audiences.”

Future

• “After a few months, you will be used to the new system.”

Key points

• “Be used to” is followed by a gerund (-ing form) or a noun, never an infinitive.
• Correct: “I am used to working late.”
• Incorrect: “I am used to work late."

"Get used to” + gerund/noun: The process of becoming accustomed

“Get used to” describes the process of becoming familiar with something. It emphasises the transition from unfamiliar to comfortable.

Present process

• “I am getting used to the new software.” (I am in the process of learning it.)
• “She is getting used to her new role.”

Past process

• “It took me a while, but I got used to working remotely.”
• “We eventually got used to the time difference.”

Future process

• “You will get used to it after a few weeks.”
• “It might take time, but you will get used to speaking English in meetings.”

Negative

• “I cannot get used to this new schedule.”
• “He never got used to the cold weather.”

The three structures compared

Here is an example that uses all three:

“When I started my current job, I wasn’t used to speaking English every day. I used to work in a team where everyone spoke Spanish. It took about three months, but I eventually got used to communicating in English, and now I don’t even think about it.”

• Used to speak Spanish = past habit, no longer true
• Wasn’t used to speaking English = it was unfamiliar at that time
• Got used to communicating in English = the process of it becoming familiar

Common confusions

”Used to” vs “would”

Both can describe past habits, but “would” cannot describe past states.

• “I used to live in Barcelona.” (past state, correct)
• “I would live in Barcelona.” (incorrect for past states)
• “I used to walk to work.” (past habit, correct)
• “I would walk to work.” (past habit, also correct)

“Used to” vs simple past

“I used to work in sales” and “I worked in sales” are both grammatically correct, but “used to” emphasises that the situation has changed.

Pronunciation

“Used to” is pronounced /juːst tə/, with the “s” sound (not “z”). This is different from the verb “use” (/juːz/). In fast speech, it often sounds like “yoosta.”

Practice exercises

Try completing these sentences:

1. When I was younger, I _______ (study) every night. Now I prefer morning study sessions.
2. After six months in London, she _______ (drive) on the left.
3. He _______ (speak) French at work. Now he uses mostly English.
4. It took me a while to _______ (work) with a distributed team.
5. We _______ (have) an office in the city centre, but we moved last year.

Answers:

1. used to study
2. was used to driving (or: got used to driving)
3. used to speak
4. get used to working
5. used to have

Key takeaways

• Used to + infinitive = past habits or states that are no longer true
• Be used to + gerund = something is familiar and normal for you
• Get used to + gerund = the process of something becoming familiar
• After “be used to” and “get used to,” always use the -ing form
• Context usually makes the meaning clear, but getting the structure right shows strong command of English

These structures come up constantly in professional English, from describing career changes to talking about workplace adaptation. Mastering them is a small investment that makes a noticeable difference in how natural and precise your English sounds, especially in interviews, presentations, and written communication.

FAQ

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

“Used to” + infinitive describes a past habit or state that is no longer true. “Be used to” + gerund or noun means something is familiar and normal for you now. They look similar but the meaning is completely different. Example: “I used to work in sales” means you don’t anymore, while “I am used to working in sales” means you are comfortable doing it.

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

“Get used to” describes the process of becoming familiar with something, so it focuses on the transition from unfamiliar to comfortable. “Used to” + infinitive describes a past habit that has ended. “Get used to” can be used in any tense and is always followed by a gerund or noun. Example: “It took me a few months to get used to speaking English in every meeting.”

What are the forms of “used to” for past habits?

“Used to” only exists in the past tense and has three basic forms. Positive: subject + used to + infinitive (“She used to commute by train”). Negative: subject + didn’t use to + infinitive (“She didn’t use to enjoy presentations”). Question: did + subject + use to + infinitive (“Did you use to work in Madrid?”). Note that the “d” drops in negatives and questions because “did” carries the past tense.