This tag is for questions about the differences in the meaning of two words.
7
votes
1answer
2k views
“Even though” vs. “even if”
Are these two totally synonymous? Can one be used in place of the other anywhere? Are there any differences in nuance, or anything at all?
7
votes
5answers
2k views
What's the difference between “cup” and “glass”?
Are "cup" and "glass" the same in English? Can I call a "glass" a cup made of plastic?
7
votes
7answers
7k views
“Integrity” vs. “honesty”—what's the difference?
In what situations would you say that someone "has integrity" as opposed to "behaves with honesty"?
For instance, if an employee is meticulous about reporting his hours, does he have integrity or is ...
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 ...
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
2answers
2k views
What is the difference, if any, between 'porn' and 'porno'?
I had never thought of a potential difference between 'porn' and 'porno' until I encountered the following dialogue from Family Guy Season 9 Episode 9(thanks to FumbleFingers for reminding me the ...
7
votes
2answers
9k views
“Covered with” vs. “covered in” vs. “covered by”
I want to find out the differences in meaning among covered by, covered in, and covered with. For example, what is the difference between:
covered with blood
covered in blood
or the ...
7
votes
2answers
839 views
How do the terms “fanboy” and “fangirl” differ from the generic term “fan?”
Prompted by the question: " How did kool-aid come to be the drink of fanboys? "
Wikipedia's explanation on "Fanboy (disambiguation)" provides:
A fanboy is a person considered to belong to one or ...
7
votes
3answers
788 views
What is the difference between a “guess” and a “hunch”?
Can both "guess" and "hunch" be used interchangeably or is there a minute difference? I know it doesn't apply to the phrase 'I guess', but generally when do you use "hunch"?
7
votes
4answers
1k views
What's up with all the words ending with “-eth” in the Bible? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What happened to the “-est” and “-eth” verb suffixes in English? How were they once used?
With all this rapture thing going on now, I noticed ...
7
votes
3answers
963 views
7
votes
6answers
827 views
Are there any differences between “update” and “upgrade”?
Are there any differences between "update" and "upgrade"?
7
votes
3answers
1k views
Is it “damping” or “dampening” when referring to sound?
When one refers to the act of modifying a physical object so as to make it better at absorbing sound vibrations, is that "damping" or "dampening" the object? I've seen both, and looking them up in the ...
7
votes
2answers
2k views
What is the difference between “inflection” and “intonation”?
And which is utilized when turning this...
The monkey is fat.
...into a question:
The monkey is fat?
7
votes
2answers
361 views
What's the difference between cunning, crafty and wily?
The definitions are quite similar, but what are the differences in meaning between them, exactly?
cunning: having or showing skill in achieving one’s ends by deceit or evasion
crafty: clever ...
7
votes
2answers
411 views
Is there a clear delineation between the usages of 'this' and 'that' in American English?
One of my linguistics professors speaks English as a second language, and remarked that she never knows which of the two is appropriate. Given a list of examples, all native speakers in the classroom ...
7
votes
3answers
3k views
Difference between “packet”, “parcel” and “package”
The definition on OALD is identical for parcel and packet.
parcel (especially British English) (North American English usually package) something that is wrapped in paper or put into a thick ...
7
votes
3answers
182 views
What is the difference between 'inclination' and its varieties; that is 'tendency - propensity - disposition - inclination - proclivity'? [closed]
As someone who is at (near-)native level of English, I know all of these words, but as I'm not immersed in an area where use of English is prevalent, (as of now I am living in the Netherlands,) I ...
7
votes
3answers
628 views
“Infective” or “Infectious”
I checked the dictionary only to find these two words clubbed into a single entry. Have these words evolved into one, having started differently?
His enthusiasm was infectious.
Does "infective" ...
7
votes
4answers
12k views
Difference between “selfish” and “self-centered”
Is there a difference between the meaning of selfish and self-centered? I have seen some using them identically. If there is a difference who would you like to hang out with: a selfish person or a ...
7
votes
4answers
961 views
Are “nil” and “null” interchangeable?
Are nil and null interchangeable? For example,
My bank a/c has a nil balance.
My bank a/c has a null balance.
7
votes
1answer
950 views
Is there a difference between “cash paid” and “cash tendered”?
I notice that some receipts have the words "Cash Paid" while others have "Cash Tendered". Are there differences between them? Can they be used interchangeably? Are there situation(s) where one of them ...
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 ...
7
votes
4answers
17k views
Bachelor thesis or Bachelor's thesis
During my final year at university, I wrote what I thought was a "bachelor thesis". Right before printing it I stumbled upon several documents stating the name "bachelor's thesis". (Here we do not ...
7
votes
2answers
2k views
What's the difference between superpose and superimpose?
The definitions seem very much alike:
superposed - Place (something) on or above something else, esp. so
that they coincide: "superposed triangles".
superimpose - Place or lay (one thing) ...
7
votes
1answer
119 views
Picked, perked or pricked up?
I hear and read these three words used in the same context in English, but is one of them more correct than the others?
"The witch's cat picked up his ears"
"Last year, when Mahmout heard that EGA ...
7
votes
2answers
5k views
What's the difference between “apparel” and “clothing”?
Those two words seems referring to one thing.
7
votes
4answers
4k views
Is there any difference between 'often' and 'frequently'?
Do both mean exactly the same or do they have slightly different meanings?
7
votes
5answers
738 views
Difference between “scenery” and “landscape”
What's the difference between scenery and landscape? In what situations can I use them interchangeably?
The scenery/landscape at the school is beautiful.
Does landscape sound natural in the ...
7
votes
1answer
527 views
What is the difference between “to allege” and “to claim”?
What is the difference between to allege and to claim? Can I use them interchangeably? Or perhaps I can only allege something illegal?
For example, from CNET:
Over the past several months, the ...
7
votes
2answers
127 views
difference between “this very” and “this particular”
It grew to my attention lately that I've read multiple authors using the expression "this very" like:
I will be writing on this very blog
I recommend going to this very restaurant
What's the value ...
7
votes
4answers
568 views
What's the difference between “efficacy” and “effectiveness”?
I usually use the word "effectiveness" in conversation, but sometimes I use the word "efficacy" then self-correct with "effectiveness" . Is there a practical difference between them?
7
votes
3answers
771 views
“Backward” versus “backwards” — is there any difference?
The dictionaries I've looked in don't distinguish between these two words, backward and backwards (at least when used as adverbs). Is there some real historical, grammatical or regional difference ...
7
votes
3answers
3k views
“Status” vs. “state”
Can anyone explain what the difference between status and state is when I talk about the condition or situation of an object?
Here's what I got from Longman English Dictionary.
status: a ...
7
votes
2answers
1k views
“Also” and “as well” for conversational context
"Also" and "as well" seem to be quite similar in meaning, but I'd like to know shades in its meaning and usage, especially for everyday conversational language. What one will sound more natural and ...
7
votes
1answer
826 views
Allegedly/Presumably/Supposedly - what's the difference?
I am not a native speaker, and I'm having a hard time consciously understanding the difference between "allegedly", "presumably" and "supposedly" (There are many others!). From what I've heard: ...
7
votes
2answers
3k views
“Chalice” vs. “goblet”
Is there a difference between chalice and goblet, other than (maybe) religious connotations on the word chalice?
7
votes
3answers
925 views
“Just” versus “simply”
To which extent is just interchangeable with simply, as in the example?
It's becoming more than just annoying.
It's becoming more than simply annoying.
Is just synonym of simply in just any ...
6
votes
4answers
8k views
What's the difference between “yet another” and “another”?
What's the difference between yet another and another?
6
votes
8answers
25k views
What is the difference between “curd” and “yogurt”?
Most people use the words curd and yogurt interchangeably.
Both are made by fermenting milk.
Is there a difference between the two, or are they the same?
6
votes
4answers
1k views
What's the difference between “false”, “counterfeit”, and “forged” when describing a document?
I'm reading Schengen Borders Code (2006R0562—EN) and in the Annex V Part B there's a list of reasons for refusing entry that includes
(B) has a false/counterfeit/forged travel document
As far as ...
6
votes
4answers
2k views
Difference between “laconic” and “concise”?
Those two words both seem to be about using a few words/a few steps to do something.
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.
6
votes
2answers
1k views
Difference between wreath, garland, and laurel
Dictionary definitions:
wreath
an arrangement of flowers, leaves, or stems fastened in a ring and used for decoration or for laying on a grave.
garland
a wreath of flowers and leaves, ...
6
votes
3answers
770 views
What's the difference between “hallow”, “sacred”, “holy” and “saint”? [closed]
Hallow, sacred, holy and saint seem to resemble each other but are not identical. So what's the difference between them?
I have searched http://dictionary.babylon.com and spotted:
Hallow:
...
6
votes
2answers
508 views
What's the difference between “FWIW” and “IMHO”?
What exactly is the difference between FWIW and IMHO?
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
3answers
3k views
“sick” or “ill”?
If I'm not healthy, am I "sick" or am I "ill"?
Are these interchangeable, or do they merely overlap?
6
votes
3answers
490 views
When do we use “suppose” and when “let”?
As a matter of fact, these two words are used a lot in mathematical contexts. Often, we use them interchangeably; but I do realize that that might not be correct. What should I do about this matter? ...
6
votes
2answers
295 views
“feint” and “feign”: Are they synomyms?
Both to feign and to feint seem to mean to pretend. Are they synonyms or the same word with only a different spelling?
Or is there an actual concrete difference in their meaning?
