Commonly Confused Words: Between vs. Among

To me, the difference between the words between and among is like the difference between a Phillip’s head screwdriver and a star-shaped screwdriver. Even though both of these screwdrivers pretty much do the same thing, they’re two entirely different tools. If you’re having a hard time figuring out the difference between these two prepositions, here’s what you need to know about the between vs. among debate.

Between vs. Among at a Glance

When considering among vs. between, here are a couple of simple rules to remember:

• Between is usually used in situations where one thing is stuck in the middle of two other things.
• Among is generally used when something is a member of a group or a part of something bigger.

When To Use Between in a Sentence

To put things simply, between should be used while describing a one-to-one relationship having to do with two separate things or a group of things. The main point that you need to keep in mind when you’re using between in a blog post or SEO article is that these things need to be distinct.

Examples of How to Use Between in a Sentence:

• Let’s try and keep this secret about the broken window between me and you.
• Make sure that you choose between chicken and fish before the wedding.

When to Use Among in a Sentence

Comparatively, you should use among when you’re talking about a larger group of things, a thing that isn’t specific, or a thing that’s more general in nature. In most cases, among will come before a plural noun when used in a sentence.

Examples of How to Use Among in a Sentence:

• When you look out among the crowd, you can’t really tell what’s going on.
• You won’t find so much contention among college football fans anywhere else.

 

Among vs. Between: It’s Time to Show Them Who’s Boss

Don’t let these two extremely similar, but different, prepositions get you down. Instead, get out there and show them that you’re a preposition master by remembering that between and among really are two words with different meanings.

What are some other commonly confused words that you want to tackle? Make sure that you share them with us in the comments.