Confusing Words: Apart (adverb) and A Part (phrase)
Meaning:
Apart ((of two or more people or things) separated by a specified distance in time or space.)
A part (an amount or section which, when combined with others, makes up the whole of something.)
Clarification: Apart and a part are two separate terms and cannot be used interchangeably
Apart vs A Part – What is the Difference, Definition & Meaning?
If you observe the above words, you will come to know that the first word is a complete word (apart) while the second one has two words (a and part). The pronunciation of apart and a part is exactly the same. This is the reason for the confusion between apart vs. a apart.
Let us discuss each word to clear up this case. I will define each term with proper explanation and I will come up with some examples to show you the function of each term.
Apart
As you can see that there is no space in between ‘a’ and ‘part’. It means that this is a complete word to use within a sentence. This particular word is used as an adverb. As an adverb, apart means not together or divided by a distance (in terms of space or time).
• It will take time to reach because that place is 100 miles apart.
• These words are just two-letters apart.
Apart can be used as an adjective as well. In this case, it means divided or different from others. In this way, it modifies a noun.
• Though Betty is weak in studies, but her aesthetic sense set her apart.
Apart can also be used as a preposition. In this case, apart should be joined with the word ‘from’. In this way, the meaning would be ‘aside from’.
• Apart from this corner, I have cleaned the whole house.
• You can have the whole cake apart from the big slice.
A Part
As I mentioned before, a part are two separate words. They have nothing to do with the word apart. In these words, ‘a’ is an article whereas, ‘part’ is a noun. So, a part means a segment, slice or a piece of something.
• As we all are a part of this college, we should be responsible of discipline.
• Please cut a part of this giant cake.
Got it?
I hope that from the above discussion, it is clear that the word ‘apart’ and the two-words phrase ‘a part’ are not interchangeable. They are just similar in terms of pronunciation but the meanings and the appearances are totally different. A part is a noun phrase whereas apart is usually used as an adverb, adjevtive or a preposition.
Apart = One word
A part = Two-word noun phrase
What Did You Learn?
Apart and a part are two separate terms and cannot be used interchangeably. Apart is mostly used as an adverb that usually joined with ‘from’, meaning not together or separated. A part, on the other hand, is a noun phrase that mean a segment, slice or a piece of something. A part is usullay joined with ‘of’.