Among vs Between | Examples, Difference & Meaning

Among and between are sometimes used as synonyms, but they don’t mean the same thing.

• Among is a preposition meaning “in the company of” or “surrounded by.” It’s typically used before a plural noun.
• Between is a preposition used to describe the space that separates two or more things or the time interval that separates two or more specific times. It often precedes a series of singular nouns.

The preposition “among” means “surrounded by,” “in the company of,” or “in a group.” The word “among” typically precedes a plural noun. These are sometimes separated by an adjective or article.

Examples: Among in a sentence
Olivia felt right at home among other singer-songwriters.
Chlamydia is very common among koalas.
The gossip spread quickly among the pupils.

The expression “among other things” means “in addition to other things that have been mentioned.” It’s always preceded and followed by a comma.

Examples: Among other things in a sentence
Daisy went to Brazil where, among other things, she volunteered as a teacher.

The preposition “between” is used to describe the space that separates two or more people or things. It can also be used to describe a time interval between two separate dates or times. It’s often used with the conjunction “and.”

“Between” can also be used to refer to a connection or conflict or to compare two (or more) things.

Examples: Between in a sentence
The dog sits between the bush and the pool.
I am on holiday between October and December.
Between me and you, I’m not sure about accepting this job offer.
There is a strong connection between smoking and developing serious diseases.

It’s a common misconception that “between” should only be used to refer to two people or things and “among” should be used to refer to three or more people or things.

Between can be used for more than two things as long as they are distinct (e.g., “I have to choose between a chocolate bar, a cookie, and a muffin”). It does, however, place more emphasis on the individual relationships, which is why it’s often used for two things.

You should use among instead of between when there is no focus on individual members of a group (e.g., “among the elderly” instead of “between the elderly”).

Test your knowledge of the difference between “among” and “between” by filling in “among” or “between” in every sentence.

Do you want to know more about common mistakes, commonly confused words, or other language topics? Check out some of our other language articles full of examples and quizzes.