English Language Learners Stack Exchange
English Language Learners Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [difference]

This tag is for questions about the difference in meaning between certain words, phrases, or sentences.

This tag is for questions about the differences between certain words, phrases, or sentences. The difference could be the used tense, the meaning, or the usage.

3841 questions
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"A tin of biscuits" vs "A biscuit tin"

Is there any slight difference in meaning between the two phrases "A tin of biscuits" and "A biscuit tin"? I'm not sure but I think there's a tiny difference in their meaning. Like, a tin of biscuits is about to emphasize that it's a tin with…
Pith
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2 answers

How can I differentiate peppers?

I know this question sounds strange, but when I see green pepper in a menu, I don't know which one it is. Any way I can distinguish them? (I know the last one is referred to as hot, but that doesn't always help.) 1 - Green pepper 2 - Green pepper…
goto
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4 answers

Difference between "this" and "that"

I always use them reversibly since I'm not too sure about their differences. For instance, in an email I just wrote: solution 1 solution 2 Which one of those solutions do you prefer? I'm not too sure whether I should use these or those. In the…
Jonathan de M.
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13
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7 answers

Is the word "crazy" always negative?

Is the word crazy always negative and impolite? What is the difference between crazy, mad and stupid? Which one can be positive?
LeoHzs
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13
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5 answers

What is the difference between "Thanks much" and "Thanks a lot"?

A: Can you give me a pen? B: Yes, take it. A: Thanks much OR Thanks a lot Is there any difference between these two phrases? Which one is preferred to use?
Ihor
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12
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7 answers

How tall/high is the Empire State building?

According to Cambridge, tall is used to talk about people's height. It can also be used to talk about things that are high and tall in their shape, such as trees and buildings. However, google shows both high and tall are used in the following…
Sara
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11
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4 answers

'improve' vs 'improve on/upon'

What are the similarities and differences? To no avail, I tried ODO and this Wordreference.com post. {verb} 1[.0]. Make or become better: 1.2. [no object] (improve on/upon) Achieve or produce something better than: Footnote: I encountered this…
user8712
11
votes
1 answer

What's the difference between "word for word" and "word by word"?

I have read a sentence : I memorize a sentence word for word. I wonder: what's the difference between "word by word" and "word for word" ? Why use "for"? What's the meaning of "for" here?
user48070
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11
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4 answers

Differences between "for ever" and "forever"

What are the differences between "forever" and "for ever" in the meaning and usages?
user48070
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10
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3 answers

abstain vs refrain

How can I distinguish between using "abstain" and "refrain"? Can they be used interchangeably? Let's see, for example: When I'm in the classrom and the teacher says: please refrain/abstain from asking silly questions. I promised my mom that I…
Daniela Diaz
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10
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1 answer

"What is the difference" or "what are the differences"?

I was used to use "What are the difference between _____ and _____", but when I accidentally typed "What is" on English StackExchange asking question, it shows up "What is the difference between _____ and _____" too! Then, I became bewildered which…
XPMai
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9
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2 answers

discriminate, distinguish, differentiate, and discern

discriminate distinguish differentiate discern I have looked up in different dictionaries, but couldn't get what is the exact difference between these. Would anyone possibly, if you really know and aware of the difference between those,…
nima
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9
votes
5 answers

Heritage and Inheritance

Could someone please explain to me what is the difference in meaning between heritage and inheritance and give an example of each? Thank you
Athanasia
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9
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2 answers

What is the difference between 'duality' and 'dichotomy'?

What is the difference between duality and dichotomy? They sound very much alike to me, but there is a subtle difference between them. I'm not sure what this difference is, however.
user88834
9
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4 answers

Difference between "document" and "documentation"

I usually see these two words especially in the context of programming. I see both words being used in similar situations. Can any one tell me the difference?
haudoing
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