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TOEIC Link Part 5: flaunt versus flout

Flaunt and flout differ by one vowel and are often swapped, but they mean opposite kinds of behavior: flaunt means to show off, while flout means to openly disregard a rule. Part 5 tests whether the blank is about displaying something proudly or defying something deliberately.

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TOEIC Link Part 5: flaunt versus flout

Flaunt and flout differ by a single vowel and are among the most commonly swapped verbs in English — but Part 5 keeps them apart. Flaunt means to display something proudly or showily so that others notice it. Flout means to openly ignore or disobey a rule, law, or convention. The item is decided by asking whether the blank is about showing something off or about defying a rule. For the full set of look-alike traps, start with the commonly confused word pairs master index.

The core rule: show off versus disobey

  • flaunt (verb) = to show off; to display wealth, success, or ability in a way meant to impress. She likes to flaunt her expensive watch. It answers is this showing something proudly? Anchor it with flaunt → flash it; you flaunt wealth, flaunt success, flaunt talent — always something you want seen.
  • flout (verb) = to deliberately break or ignore a rule, law, or custom without hiding it. Drivers who flout the speed limit face heavy fines. It answers is this defying a rule? Anchor it with flout → flout the law; you flout regulations, flout conventions, flout authority — always something you are supposed to obey.

A quick anchor: flaunt = show off (flaunt your success); flout = disobey openly (flout the rules). The au shows things off; the ou breaks them.

Why Part 5 likes this pair

The two verbs look and sound nearly identical, and even native speakers mix them up, so the wrong option passes a quick reading. The item is decided by context: anything about displaying wealth, status, or ability points to flaunt, while anything about ignoring laws, rules, or norms points to flout.

The company was fined for __ environmental regulations for years.

The blank is about openly ignoring rules, so it needs flouting.

New executives are advised not to __ their bonuses in front of the team.

The blank is about showing off wealth, so it needs flaunt.

Spotting the clue

Check whether the blank is about display or defiance:

  • Is the word about showing off wealth, success, or ability — often near wealth, success, riches, talent, or status? → choose flaunt (flaunt her wealth, flaunt his success).
  • Is the word about breaking or ignoring a rule — often near rules, law, regulations, convention, or authority? → choose flout (flout the rules, flout safety regulations).

A quick test: can you replace the word with "show off"? Then it is flaunt. Can you replace it with "openly disobey"? Then it is flout. In TOEIC business scenarios, flaunt appears with objects of status and possession — flaunt profits, flaunt a title, flaunt a lifestyle — while flout appears with objects of rule and order — flout company policy, flout the law, flout established procedure. For more pairs where meaning turns on context, see the business and finance confusable pairs study guide.

Common Part 5 patterns

TOEIC Part 5 reuses a few frames for this pair. Recognizing them saves seconds on test day:

  • "__ their wealth / success / status" → flaunt (show off). The brochure warns against flaunting luxury during a downturn.
  • "__ the rules / law / regulations" → flout (openly disobey). Firms that flout labor laws risk losing their license.
  • "__ a new title / a promotion" → flaunt when it means displaying it proudly.
  • "__ convention / authority / safety standards" → flout (defy). The startup built its brand by flouting industry conventions.

Notice that flaunt takes objects you want admired (wealth, success, talent, status), while flout takes objects you are meant to respect (rules, law, convention, authority). If the sentence is about impressing people, you want flaunt; if it is about breaking rules, you want flout.

The takeaway

When the blank points to displaying something proudly — flaunt her wealth, flaunt his success — the answer is flaunt, and the giveaway is that you could swap in "show off." When the blank names openly disobeying — flout the rules, flout the law — the answer is flout, and the giveaway is that you could swap in "defy." Keep the vowel in mind: flAUnt flashes things for admiration, while flOUt throws rules out. For one more context-driven trap that TOEIC likes to test, review the commonly confused word pairs master index.