H is for Healthy

 Vegetables and fruits are healthy. Or is it healthful? Somewhere, back in the deep, dark recesses of my mind, I think I remember learning the distinction between healthy and healthful. However, I've been confused by their usage for years now, so I think it's finally time for me to figure it out. 

After consulting Grammar Girl,  American Heritage Dictionary, and the Merriam-Webster dictionary, here's the bottom line - healthy is okay to use in all circumstances. Healthful is used only to mean conducive to good health. Healthy can be used as a synonym for healthful as well as a healthy person.

"But wait," you say. That's not right. Healthy can only refer to a person (living), and healthful must be used for things (nonliving).  That was the preferred usage for a while. In the 1800's there was a big push to differentiate between the words healthy and healthful and that lasted into the 1940's but has been on the decline since then.  However, the American Heritage Dictionary says that both have meant conducive to good health for over 400 years, and today, healthy is used almost exclusively for both meanings. That explains why using healthy sounds right to my ears. And that simplifies things, too. If I use only healthy, I'll be okay.

Do you learn to make a distinction between healthy and healthful?