Questions tagged [differences]
This tag is for questions about the differences in the meaning of two words. For us to be able to help you, please provide the sourced definitions that you are referring to, where the confusion arises, as well as an example sentence that shows the ambiguity.
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“the room whose door is broken” vs “the room which door is broken”? [migrated]
Which exactly is the difference in meaning and usage between choosing whose versus choosing which in this first sentence?
He chose to live in the room [ which / whose ] door was broken.
How do these ...
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Which is better, 'Iberophile', or 'Hispanophile'?
I'm not sure, because according to dictionaries, Iberophile isn't a word, but it is the first result on Google for "lover of Spain"
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3
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What is the difference — honor, confer, decorate —?
I’m a Japanese college student, and in English class, I saw a sentence saying,
The prime minister was formally invested with the title by Emperor.
When I looked up words which mean "to give a ...
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The difference between [migrated]
Is there a difference between
He walks so slow
And
He walks so slowly
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102
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What is the difference between "Chinese-Canadian" and "Canadian-Chinese"?
What is the difference between a "Chinese-Canadian" and a "Canadian-Chinese"?
Do I understand correctly that the first part of such phrases will show the origin of a person, and ...
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"I pray that this letter ___ your approval" - 'attains,' 'gains,' or 'obtains'? [closed]
I was writing a Statement of Purpose letter and I am stuck with this dilemma. Here is what I wrote:
I pray that this letter attains your approval.
I first used "gains" but my mind ...
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0
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82
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What is the difference between fascistic and fascist
I've seen these words both used but not interchangeably. My guess is that fascistic refers to 'fascist in nature', e.g if a building is fascistic it is reflective of fascist ideology but not ...
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'Magic Tree' or 'Magical Tree': When to use, which is more common? [duplicate]
I'm struggling to find an answer to my question, which is about the difference between Magic Tree and Magical Tree
For native English speakers, is there a preferable option that "sounds right&...
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Difference between "wave AT" and "wave TO"
What's the difference between "wave" used with "to" and "wave" used with "at"?
Two sentences as examples:
She's waving at the person behind me.
and
The ...
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Difference between freight, cargo, and shipment?
I surfed the internet and found countless definitions for these terms and they are "kinda" representative of what you'd find on the internet:
Freight: Freight refers to the goods or ...
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1
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difference between rinse and rinse off
Is there any difference between 'rinse' and 'rinse off'? I searched many places and didn't find any obvious differences
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'Painted' or 'painting' after 'want' + NP
Which is correct? Is it, "Do you want your house painting" or "Do you want your house painted"? Examples of both can be found on the internet.
Is there a difference between them? ...
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5
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316
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Does a restaurant 'make' sushi or 'do' sushi?
In the following sentence, which is idiomatic: make or do? Is there any difference in register, meaning, or usage?
There’s a little Japanese place near my office that makes/does great sushi!
I've ...
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1
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How to tell which is "port" and which is"interface" on electronic devices (e.g., PC)
I cannot simply know where to use "port" and "interface", because these two words translate into one same word in my native language. So, I wanna figure out the difference between &...
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Should I use 'can' or 'will be able to'? "If he fixes your car tonight, you [?] drive it to school tomorrow." [closed]
Should I change "will be able to" to "can" in the bolded sentence from the exchange below?
A: My car broke down and I have to drive to school to pick up my daughter tomorrow. I ...
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colonial heritage vs. colonial legacy
I'm trying to find the best translation for the German phrase "koloniales Erbe" as applied to a former colonial power, e.g. as used in the title of this conference. Both "colonial ...
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380
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What is the difference between 'can', 'could' and 'would you mind' in asking questions? [closed]
For me these 3 have the same meaning, but i just could not differentiate what the subtle difference between them, maybe 'would you mind' is more polite then the other two?
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Difference between "they thought that the general would lead them to victory" and "they thought that the general would have led them to victory"?
They thought that the general would lead them to victory.
vs.
They thought that the general would have led them to victory.
Is there a difference between the two sentences above? Is one ...
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1
answer
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Is it "financial and real estate industry" or "financial and real estate industries"? [closed]
Is it "financial and real estate industry" or "financial and real estate industries"?
I'm trying to figure out which example is correct. Are they synonymous?
Context: In the ...
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1
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Difference between "bizarre" and "eccentric"
In google translate, the word "bizarre" means "very strange or unusual, especially so as to cause interest or amusement.". But I believe that this description is more suited for &...
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Difference between 'obliterate' and 'annihilate'
Are 'obliterate', 'annihilate' the same thing? I've searched dictionaries and they both mean to destroy completely, or in other words, destroy utterly:
obliterate [verb] [transitive]
1 to destroy ...
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I'm going to do vs I'm going to have
I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this so please let me know if its not appropriate.
I was wondering if there's any general rule on when to use "have" and "do" in the ...
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Getting a deeper understanding of the similarities & differences between the words "offhand/offhanded" , "facile" & "glib" [closed]
(reference:
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/offhand )
offhand
not friendly, and showing little interest in other people in a way
that seems slightly rude:
(reference: https://...
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138
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Is there any difference between "is called the" vs. "is called a"? [closed]
Is there any difference between "is called the" vs. "is called a"?
Examples from ISO/IEC 9899:2011 (E) (emphases added via bold font):
The identifier immediately following the ...
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1
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189
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grief vs grievances [closed]
In a recent tweet of C. R Hills:
The Serbian people will never set aside their grief, but I believe they are strong enough to set aside their grievances. The United States’ dedication to our ...
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2
answers
139
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What is the difference between an 'inference' and a 'prediction'? [closed]
Some say the two words 'inference' and 'predictions' can be used interchangeably. Personally, I think of an inference as the act that produces a prediction. Does anyone know if they are the same or do ...
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210
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What's the difference between backward(s) and backwardly?
What is the difference between backwards, backward, and backwardly? They're all adverbs, but I feel like there's some sort of difference in their meanings and uses.
Although this question is similar ...
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I may go to the party - permission or possibility? Or both? [duplicate]
Hope you can help me to answer this tricky question. I´m posting here as I got the impression that it needs a linguist or at least a native to answer it.
When you say: I may go to the party. Does this ...
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Meaning of the word "star" in Australian English?
This is "star" in the context of talking about celebrities. My impression from talking to one Australian is that the word has a negative meaning to refer to a "prima donna" -- ...
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Injury VS Injuries in this context
I came across this exercise in the Cambridge English Advanced exam:
Because he was injured he couldn't play in the next game.
PREVENTED
His ______________________ in the next game.
ANSWER: injury ...
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220
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Coffer vs Chest vs Box vs Trunk [closed]
What is the difference between the words : Coffer , Chest , Box & Trunk
I had browsed many sites but could not get a crystal clear difference between them.
Moreover, when to use each one?
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1
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What is the difference between "climb on" and "climb to"? [closed]
What is the difference between "climb on" and "climb to"? As a pilot, there may be such minor differences in our aviation charts. But I can't quite understand the difference.
I am ...
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393
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Repeated or recurring [closed]
Can the word "recurring" and "repeated" be used interchangeably in the context of tasks such as habits, periodic reviews, etc..? for things that are repeated every day, or just ...
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255
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Identify which one has the correct sentence structures
There are 4 options:
a. Melanie wrote to her sister once a week while she was living abroad.
b. While her sister was living abroad, Melanie wrote to her once a week.
c. When traveling abroad, a letter ...
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I was talking about me/myself [closed]
Could you tell me if both are correct and if there's any difference between the two?
First couple:
I was talking about me.
I was talking about myself.
Second couple:
I can't take you with me today....
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Is there a difference between "hold me tight" and "hold me close"? [closed]
When these phrases are used as a way to request support when faced with adversity (think the seamstress & Sydney Carton at the end of A Tale of Two Cities, although Dickens didn't use these ...
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"to slam <home> the <home> penalty <home>" [closed]
A sentence from "Extra Examples"of item 2 from oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com:
(1) He slammed home the penalty for goal number two.
To me, it's very strange to see "home" in the ...
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Are "factor" and "variable" synonymous in general usage?
I was writing a personal insight essay and I wanted to interchange "x-factor" with "x-variable."
Current Quoted Usage:
Our team is the X factor in your treatment."
Intended ...
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1
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The difference between "add up" and "lump"
Do these two sentences mean the same thing: "lump all the lodging charges" vs "add up all the lodging charges"? Generally, is the latter used more?
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What is the difference between "diverse" and "versatile"?
I have this sentence:
John is a (versatile/diverse) football player, he can play multiple positions on the pitch.
In this context, which word should I use?
The meaning of diverse is:
showing a ...
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3
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Are "seldom" and "rarely" truly interchangeable?
As per answer to When do we use "rarely, hardly, seldom"?, the words "rarely" and "seldom" are synonyms and can be used interchangeably.
I wonder if this is really the ...
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Difference between "Sustainable energy" and "Renewable Energy" [closed]
What is the difference between "Sustainable Energy" and "Renewable Energy?". Those words seem to be used interchangeably. I want to know its true difference amongst the two words. ...
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2
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Whats the difference between unwittingly and inadvertantly? [closed]
Are those words pure synonyms or is there any difference? What would be the most obvious usage of those words?
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What’s the difference between blubbering and sobbing? [duplicate]
I see these words used interchangeably, but it seems there’s a difference. Is there a significant difference between these 2 words?
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Difference in meaning between "done freely" and "freely done¨?
As the title asks, is there any difference in meaning?
For instance, is there any difference in meaning between these two sentences?
The activity can be freely done in this room.
The activity can be ...
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What is the difference between phrases "is used when" and "is used for when"?
I was recently reading some articles about type conditionals, and one of them had a following line:
The zero conditional is used for when the time being referred to is now or always and the situation ...
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What's the difference between the following "either questions"?
What is the best way to state this?
Either people should speak up about what bothers them, or just learn to live with other people's habits.
People should either speak up about what bothers them or ...
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How do an attributive noun (noun adjunct) and an adjective differ in the case when both forms exist and they synonymously function as a modifier?
i.e. How do ancestor worship house and ancestral worship house differ?
Definitions
ancestor [noun]
a person, typically one more remote than a grandparent, from whom one is descended.
an early type ...
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What is the difference between law and piece of legislation? [closed]
For example,
The Data Protection Act is a piece of legislation aimed at protecting the privacy of the individual.
A new law was passed to make divorce easier and simpler"
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Percipient vs Prescient
According to what I have come to understand, prescient is an adjective meaning psychic but percipient is a noun meaning a perceiver. So how can these two be synonyms?
Can anyone kindly explain to me ...
