This tag is for questions about the differences in the meaning of two words.
8
votes
3answers
3k views
What is the distinction between “role” and “rôle” [with a circumflex]?
One of our users, Stan Rogers, mentioned there was such a distinction, I think, when he answered a question and talked about how the orthography of foreign loan-words typically changes to conform with ...
8
votes
5answers
8k views
What's the difference between “client” and “customer”?
I already asked a similar question (customer vs. client vs. user vs. consumer of on-line service) but, I believe, there may be some differences between technical and legal jargon and general usage of ...
6
votes
3answers
1k views
What does “shortening” mean? Is it different from “abbreviation”?
What does shortening mean? Is it different from abbreviation? I checked the dictionary, but I don't get the difference clearly.
11
votes
3answers
2k views
“Between A and B” or “from A to B”
Suppose we are talking about the numbers 1, 2, ... , 10.
When we use the phrase between 1 and 10, do we include the end-points 1 and 10? Is there any difference if we say from 1 to 10 instead?
5
votes
2answers
3k views
5
votes
5answers
3k views
What's the difference between “well-lighted” and “well-lit”?
This question has been on my mind since I first read Hemingway's story, "A clean well-lighted place". I have never heard "well-lighted" in my life other than in this story. I have heard that a room ...
5
votes
2answers
247 views
“Like” versus “as”
Is there any difference between the following couples of sentences?
Dress as you would if you were having guests.
Dress like if you were having guests.
She kissed him goodbye, as usual.
...
4
votes
2answers
444 views
Simple present vs. present continuous
What is the difference between saying:
Are you still working there?
Do you still work there?
Which is more common in spoken vs written English?
Google books returned results for both of ...
2
votes
2answers
5k views
When do we use “arrive at” versus “arrive in”?
When do we use "at" and "in" with "arrive" talking about place, not time?
0
votes
2answers
296 views
What is the difference between words like “historic” and “historical,” and “instructive” and “instructional?” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Why is it “geometric” but “theoretical”?
They're all adjectives, so how do you know when to use one over the other? Does it matter? I think it ...
-1
votes
1answer
559 views
“Did it close” vs “Has it closed”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How do the tenses in English correspond temporally to one another?
What's the difference between the following?
Did the shop close?
Has the shop closed?
I suspect ...
82
votes
10answers
11k views
Differences between slang words for breasts
What is the difference between “tits” and “boobs”?
P.S. I'm not sure if this question is appropriate but as English is not my native language I really would love to know the difference.
25
votes
1answer
55k views
What's the difference between “requester” and “requestor”?
Both are in dictionaries. I've heard people insist "requester" is correct for a person who requests something, and that "requestor" is wrong there, leaving me to wonder how it is used. Requestor ...
3
votes
4answers
3k views
“I have no …” vs. “I don't have …”
I have no house.
I don't have a house.
What's the difference between the phrases like the ones above?
25
votes
5answers
7k views
Is there a difference between “arse” and “ass”?
From a comment here, in frequent usage, arse and ass are often interchangeable when used to refer to buttocks or to a person of dubious charms. However, although “to arse about” has a vague connection ...
12
votes
3answers
939 views
What is the difference between “none of …” and “neither of”?
What's the difference between the following examples:
Neither of my teachers are mathematicians.
None of my teachers are mathematicians.
15
votes
4answers
1k views
Meaning of “My friend, who lives in Paris, is a teacher” with and without commas
Can anyone help me understand the difference in meaning between these two sentences?
My friend who lives in Paris is a teacher.
My friend, who lives in Paris, is a teacher.
To me it ...
12
votes
5answers
7k views
Difference between “theorem” and “theory”
What is the difference between a theorem and a theory? The two words seem to be used to describe very similar things, but yet do not seem to be interchangeable.
For example, we have Pythagoras' ...
6
votes
2answers
18k views
'I get it' vs. 'I got it'
When someone tells me something, how should I respond, "I get it" or "I got it"? I have a feeling that "I got it" means "I already knew the thing before you told me," and "I get it" means "Now I know ...
5
votes
2answers
1k views
Which is the proper spelling: “Adapter” or “adaptor”?
In my current project we are writing a program to convert a newer protocol to an older one.
These conversion programs are being referred to as adapters, but the team cannot agree which spelling to ...
4
votes
6answers
17k views
What's the difference between “I look forward to” and “I'm looking forward to”?
I just don't get the reasoning behind which one is correct in which situation.
Typically I use the wrong one, or I use them when I'm not supposed to.
21
votes
9answers
3k views
Do the words “jail” and “prison” refer to different things?
In everyday speech, the terms jail and prison are used interchangeably in many situations. However, my understanding is that, at least in the US, they actually refer to slightly different things. For ...
14
votes
4answers
7k views
What are the important differences between Canadian and American (USA) English?
English is not my first language; the little English I know is mostly from the USA.
I know some of the differences between British English (or just English?) and American English, and the same with ...
13
votes
12answers
6k views
What is the difference between “quicker” and “faster”?
What is the correct word to use here and why:
I will get there quicker [than you]
vs.
I will get there faster [than you]
There must be similar adverbs for "slower".
13
votes
7answers
2k views
What are the similarities and differences between “irony” and “sarcasm”?
This seems to be one the long-standing arguments between people on the internet. When is something "irony" and when is it "sarcasm"? And can a quip be both at the same time?
Dictionary definitions ...
10
votes
5answers
2k views
9
votes
2answers
6k views
“Maximum” vs. “maximal”
What is the difference in usage between maximum and maximal? When would you use one or the other?
Maximum can be a noun or an adjective:
This is the maximum it can be set to.
This is the ...
8
votes
3answers
6k views
Difference between phrase, idiom and expression [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is the difference between an expression and a phrase?
Difference between “phrase” and “idiom”
What is the difference between a phrase, an ...
7
votes
4answers
2k views
What are: province, territory, protectorate, state…?
Often a country will have regions called "provinces" or "states". Other times they are called "territories" and "protectorates".
Is there a generic term for these words?
Is there a full list of ...
17
votes
8answers
3k views
Ripe with Opportunity? Or Rife?
The Grammarist says I should use rife with rather than ripe with.
So far so good and I agree. But is there an exception for ripe with opportunity?
Googlefight overwhelmingly prefers ripe, and I like ...
12
votes
1answer
536 views
“Defense” or “defence”
Is the only difference that in USA they write it with s and in UK they write it with c, or is there anything more?
11
votes
3answers
5k views
What is the difference between “electric” and “electrical” and their usage?
What is the difference between electric and electrical and their usage?
For example, what is the difference between "electrical machine" and "electric machine"?
10
votes
4answers
5k views
“Plausible” vs. “possible”
I am looking to find the difference between possible and plausible.
Here is what Apple's dictionary gives for each word:
Possible: Able to be done; within the power or capacity of someone or ...
9
votes
6answers
8k views
Difference between “OK” and “okay”
While typing a post on SO, I noticed that the word "ok" (when used in the sentence "I'm still learning so it is ok") was marked as misspelled (got to love spellcheck!) The first suggestion, however, ...
9
votes
2answers
1k views
Difference between “each” and “every”
What is the difference between the following two sentences?
Each apple is red.
Every apple is red.
8
votes
4answers
730 views
Difference between “spirit” and “soul”
What is the difference between spirit and soul? Is the word soul used for only human beings? For instance,
He [Descartes] thought the brain worked as a center for the spirits of
the soul.
8
votes
5answers
2k views
What's the difference between “big” and “large”?
What's the proper way to say: a large family or a big family? What's the difference between them?
7
votes
3answers
741 views
Different conditional clauses — “if you saw”, “if you were to see”, “if you had seen”
Given the following sentences, what is the difference between the conditional clauses in them?
If you saw a lion in a thick forest, what would you do?
If you were to see a lion in a thick ...
7
votes
5answers
2k views
What's the difference between orthography and spelling?
The terms "spelling" and "orthography" seem to be largely synonymous. What is the difference really? Is it that "orthography" is a more formal or technical term and hence more well-defined? Or is it ...
6
votes
4answers
507 views
Different Meanings of 'Jumper' (Transatlantic embarassment)
I'm originally from Wales, now living in the USA, and as the cold weather is approaching I'm determined, this year, to start using the word sweater to describe the item of clothing I'm wearing, as ...
6
votes
5answers
6k views
Difference between “at” and “in” when specifying location
I am used to saying "I am in India.". But somewhere I saw it said "I am at Puri (Oriisa)". I would like to know the differences between "in" and "at" in the above two sentences.
6
votes
3answers
790 views
Recommend someone
I'd like to ask about the use of the verb "recommend" in the following sentences:
We'd recommend you to book your flight early.
The plumber recommended me to buy a new water heater.
The ...
6
votes
5answers
242 views
About using singular as food
Consider the following :
He likes dogs.
He likes dog.
(1) would mean he likes dogs as pets and (2) refers to dog as food.
My question is, does the same apply to nouns such as orange and ...
6
votes
2answers
3k views
What is the difference between metonymy and synecdoche?
What is the difference between metonymy and synecdoche?
6
votes
3answers
1k views
What is the difference between “into” and “onto”?
I see both used, at times, almost interchangeably. What are the general guidelines?
5
votes
6answers
2k views
When to use “Elven”, “Elvish” and “Elfic”?
Well, these are three adjectives for "something from the elves". But I'm spanish and in my language there's only one adjective for these (élfico), and I can't understand what's the difference.
5
votes
4answers
263 views
US Route 101 — “The 101”
In my part of the world, we refer to highways without any article. So we drive on "Highway 64", or "Interstate 64", or "I-64". But when I go to California, they say "The 101". Is there any explanation ...
5
votes
4answers
899 views
What is the difference between “horrify” and “terrify”?
When would I use one, versus using the other?
5
votes
2answers
2k views
What's the practical difference between “allot” and “allocate”?
I've noticed allot is usually used as an adjective (as in, "your allotted amount"), and allocate is more often used as a verb (as in, "I will allocate some resources"). Any other notable differences?
4
votes
3answers
444 views
Spelling protocol (American/British/Canadian) for an International conference
If I'm a Canadian who'll be presenting in an international conference, should I use my country's spelling, which is the Canadian/British spelling like "grey" or the more used American spelling like ...
