Despite and In-Spite – What Is The Difference?

Confusing Words: Despite (noun) and In-Spite (noun)
Meaning:
Despite (without being affected by)
In-Spite (in disregard or defiance of)
Despite vs In-spite Clarification: Despite dates back to 1200 A.D while In-spite is a modern preposition. Both words carry the same meaning and can be used interchangeably.

Despite Vs In-Spite – What is the Difference, Definition & Meaning?

The prepositions Despite and in-spite vary in the syntax as well as in the meaning. It depends upon the context in which both the prepositions are to be used. The question arises in ones mind that is both the words interchangeable?

The answer is yes! If one is intending to write a brief explanation, use of despite will be more feasible. If the writer has to give elaborated details, use of  In-spite will be more accurate.

The first difference appears at the phonetic level; In-spite has two vowel sounds while Despite has three vowel sounds. The difference lies in the connotation and not in the denotation.

Both the prepositions have common meaning i.e. Candid action. The difference lies in the context in which both the prepositions are used.

In-Spite

In-spite is more casually used. Its literal meaning is ‘regardless of’. It is usually used with noun or a gerund.

1. She failed the linguistics exam in-spite of all her dedication.
2. We won the baseball match inspite of miserable practice.
3. We do not go for using prepositions like that with inspite of.

Inspite is mostly used with of making it a three-syllabic word.
Inspite usually denotes the contradiction e.g she went to the exam inspite of the probation.

Despite

Despite means an unaffected behavior or action. It makes the expression formal and more brief.

1. She failed the linguistic exam despite all her dedication.
2. Despite miserable practice, we won the match.

Remember, we do not use ‘of’ with despite. Despite is a two-syllabic word making it easier for the readers to pronounce. Despite is mostly used to denote neutral contradiction. E.g. Despite the probation, she went for the exam.

Check Out: The Difference Between Accept and Except.

What Did You Learn?

Both Inspite and Despite are similar in the meaning. The only ways they differ are in the:

• Pronunciation
• The context
• Degree of contradiction
• Casualty and formality
• Connotation and denotation

Moreover, despite came before in-spite of. In-spite came afterwards and has its origin in the urban dictionary. Despite dates back to 1200 A.D while In-spite is a modern preposition.