Confusing Words: Among (preposition) and Amongst (preposition)
Meaning: “situated more or less centrally in relation to (several other things).”
Among vs Amongst Clarification: Both the words can be used interchangeably as they carry the same meaning. Amongst is considered a more “formal” alternative to among.
Among vs. Amongst – What is the Difference, Definition & Meaning?
The words among vs. amongst can cause confusion
Among and amongst are just two-letters apart. The difference is just –st in amongst. The fact behind these words is that among and amongst have no differences in meanings and usage.
Among and Amongst = interchangeable
Both of these words can be used interchangeably. These words are used as a preposition within a sentence. It means that among and amongst can be used to express a relation between two words or elements to form a phrase or a complete sentence.
Check Out: Difference Between Among and Between.
Meaning of Among/Amongst:
As I mentioned above that among and amongst are both prepositions and interchangeable. The meaning of both of these words is same. It is your choice which word you want to choose for your writing. Among and amongst mean ‘surrounded by or in the company of a group of people or things’.
1. I felt very awesome when I found myself among rich people.
2. I requested him to stand amongst the bushes.
3. My mother was searching her ring among my boxes of jewellery.
Does The Difference Makes Sense?
So, you see that how you can use among or amongst within sentences. Let me tell you the origin of these words. Among is the first word that came in the history of English language.
Amongst, on the other hand, is younger than among. You have already noticed that in most of the sentences, writers use among instead of amongst. It means that among is more commonly used than amongst.
Which word is more formal, among or amongst?
Amongst is said to be more formal than among. Actually, the word ‘among’ is highly preferable in American English. Amongst, on the other side, is highly used in British English. As, I said above that you can see among in most of the sentences but the truth is that writers tend to use amongst.
If you use amongst in your formal writing then it will give a good impression to the readers. In a nutshell, the difference is similar to that of using alright in place of all right.
So in short, it is up to you which one is to choose and which one is to ignore. The choice is all yours.
What Did You Learn?
Among and amongst are two yet same words. Both of these words are prepositions which mean ‘surrounded by or in the company of a group of people or things’. You can use any word i.e. among or amongst, as they are interchangeable.