“Be used to” describes the state of being accustomed to something. “Get used to” describes the process of becoming accustomed to it.
ReviewedEvidence1 sourceSectionEnglish Usage
Quick answer
Use “be used to” for an existing state of familiarity. Use “get used to” for the process of becoming familiar or comfortable with something.
Key details
Confusion Familygrammar-and-usage distinction
Rule Familymeaning and construction
Termsbe used to, get used to
Further guidance
Change Pattern
Get used to describes becoming accustomed over time; both expressions can be followed by a noun, pronoun, or -ing form.
State Pattern
Be used to describes already being accustomed to a situation or activity.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
Used to↗ (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Used to for past habits/states no longer true, plus be used to and get used to for being/becoming accustomed
“Despite” and “in spite of” have the same concessive role and are followed by a noun phrase or -ing form rather than a finite clause introduced directly after them.
“Forget + -ing” concerns whether an earlier event remains in memory. “Forget + to-infinitive” means the intended action was not remembered and therefore may not have been done.
“Hear” normally presents sound perception as an event or natural process; “listen” presents deliberate attention. Before an object, “listen” normally takes “to.”
With noun phrases, “do” often focuses on carrying out an activity or task, while “make” often focuses on creating or producing an outcome. Many combinations are fixed collocations and must be learned as such.
