Practice
Encase, incase, or in case?
The museum will encase the fragile map in glass. Take a charger in case your phone runs out of power. The first sentence needs a verb about covering something. The second prepares for something that may happen.
Use encase for covering or enclosing something, use in case as two words for a possible situation, and recognize that incase appears as a variant spelling of encase in some dictionaries.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
encase the map /ɪnˈkeɪs ðə mæp/
The short answer
Use encase when something is covered or enclosed: The display will encase the model in clear plastic. Use in case when you mean because something might happen: Save the file in case the computer stops working. Treat incase carefully. Some dictionaries list it as a variant of encase, but in ordinary edited writing, encase is the clearer spelling for the verb.
Pack an extra shirt in case the flight is delayed.
Why it works: In case introduces a possible event, so it is written as two words.
5 more examples
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The laboratory will encase the sample in a sealed container.
Encase is a verb. It describes putting the sample inside a protective outer container.
Not this:Keep a sealed container nearby
in case the sample leaks. What changes: In case introduces a possible event that the speaker is preparing for. -
A clear cover encases the map.
The cover surrounds the map, so the verb encases fits.
Not this:Take a copy of the map
in case you get lost. What changes: Getting lost is a possible situation, so the phrase has two words. -
The protective shell encases the camera lens.
The shell covers the lens, which is the action expressed by encases.
Not this:Bring a lens cloth
in case the glass gets dirty. What changes: The cloth is packed as preparation for a possible problem. -
The artist encased the small object in resin.
Encased is the past form of the verb encase.
Not this:The artist kept notes
in case the resin changed color. What changes: The notes are preparation for a possible change. -
In case of heavy rain, the outdoor event will move inside.
In case of is followed by a noun phrase. Heavy rain is the possible event.
Not this:The rain gauge
is encased in clear plastic. What changes: Here encased describes the gauge being covered by plastic.
Read the full guide
First ask whether the sentence describes an action of covering something or a plan for a possible event. An action of covering takes encase. A plan for something that might happen takes in case. Then look at the words that follow. In case can be followed by a clause, such as the train is late, or by a noun phrase, such as an emergency.
Use encase for covering or enclosing
Use encase when something goes inside a case, cover, or outer layer. It is a verb, so it describes an action. The object after the verb is the thing being covered or surrounded.
The workshop will encase the fragile wire in rubber.
The wire is the object. The action is putting it inside a protective rubber layer.
Choose the word for an action that covers a cable in plastic.
Use encase: The factory will encase the cable in plastic.
Use in case for a possible situation
Use in case when someone prepares for something that may happen. The phrase often explains why an action is sensible now. It is written as two words.
Set an alarm in case you fall asleep early.
Falling asleep early is possible, so the alarm is a precaution.
Complete the sentence: Save the address ___ the internet connection fails.
Use in case: Save the address in case the internet connection fails.
Check what comes after in case
In case can come before a clause that names a possible event. In case of comes before a noun phrase instead. This small grammar check helps you choose the right shape.
Keep the receipt in case you need a refund.
You need a refund is a clause. If you use of, write in case of a refund instead.
Correct the phrase: in case of the weather changes.
Write in case the weather changes, or write in case of bad weather.
Treat incase as a spelling variant, not the phrase
Some dictionaries record incase as a variant spelling of encase. That spelling belongs to the verb meaning cover or enclose. It does not turn in case into one word.
The guide may use incase as a variant spelling of encase.
For a precaution, write two words: Carry a guide in case you lose your signal.
Which spelling fits a plan for a possible delay?
Use in case, because the sentence is about a possible delay rather than covering something.
Choose by meaning before spelling
Do not choose from sound alone. If the sentence means cover or surround, use the verb encase. If it means prepare for a possible event, use in case. The meaning gives you the spelling.
The company encased the sensor in metal, so it would survive the rain.
Encased describes the protective action. In case would be used in a separate phrase about preparing for rain.
Choose the correct form: Bring a cover ___ the device gets wet.
Use in case: Bring a cover in case the device gets wet.
Before you go
Remember this
Use encase for the action of covering or enclosing something. Use in case for a possible event or precaution. In case of comes before a noun phrase, while in case can come before a clause. Incase may be a variant of encase in some references, but never use it for the phrase in case.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Encase, incase, or in case?"
What does encase mean?
Encase means to cover, surround, or enclose something in a case or outer layer. It is a verb. For example, a manufacturer can encase a small part in plastic to protect it.
The laboratory will encase the sample in a sealed container.
Is in case one word or two?
Write in case as two words when you mean because something might happen. For example, take your ticket in case an employee asks to see it. This phrase is different from the verb encase.
Keep a sealed container nearby in case the sample leaks.
Can in case be followed by a clause?
Yes. Use in case before a clause about a possible event: in case the meeting ends late. Use in case of before a noun phrase: in case of a delay. Do not write in case of the meeting ends late.
A clear cover encases the map.
Is incase a correct spelling?
Some dictionaries record incase as a variant spelling of the verb encase. It is not the spelling for the phrase in case. In edited writing, encase is often the clearest spelling when you mean to cover or enclose something.
Take a copy of the map in case you get lost.
How can I choose between encase and in case?
Ask what the sentence means. Choose encase when something is covered or enclosed. Choose in case when an action prepares for a possible situation. The two-word phrase often appears before a clause or in the form in case of plus a noun phrase.
The protective shell encases the camera lens.