Someone who cheats is a cheat! Not a ‘cheater’!

[GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER]

Phew, it was good to say that, having just seen ‘cheater’ for the zillionth time on here.

I don’t think that’s an established fact! If you burgle a house, you are a burglar. If you plumb a sink in, you are a plumber. If you cheat, you are a cheater.

If you win, you are a winner.
If you lose, you are a loser.
If you cheat…

I could go on. This isn’t all right/alright where there’s one clearly incorrect option. You just don’t like one of two valid alternatives.

In case you hadn’t ever noticed, English is not the most rational language.

I will allow ‘windcheater’ though, not that you often hear about those any more.

I thought the fastest land animal was a cheetah.🐆

If you described someone as a ‘cheat’ to me I’d probably think you meant on an exam. If you described them as a ‘cheater’ I’d think relationships. Not sure why this distinction exists for me, but there you go!

My Oxford English Dictionary suggests that the noun cheater is the American English form of cheat.

I noticed the same about American English. Quite apart from anything, 'cheater' sounds awkward in speech. He is a cheat is much more natural than he is a cheater.

IME in American English, a cheater is a person who has cheated or who has a habit of cheating, in any context (infidelity, exams, Scrabble, etc.) Cheat as a noun is not that common - it can be synonymous with cheater, can mean a habitual or repeat cheater, or can mean a shortcut or transgression.

In case you hadn’t ever noticed, English is not the most rational language.

It's also not the most prescriptive language. Usage helps to determine what is acceptable.

The OED disagrees and says both are correct? Who has the final say?

I think it depends on the accent you have. To me cheat or cheater are fairly equally viable and roll off the tongue no bother. But I know in my partner’s accent cheater would sound like cheetah since he doesn’t pronounce the ‘er’ sound in words like drawer or cheater and somehow that just sounds odd. So as with many of these kind of threads the answer is- it depends and it’s not an absolute.

This isn’t all right/alright where there’s one clearly incorrect option.
Alright is never right.

Alright is never right.

Give it time.