"differentiate between" vs "differentiate from"

Question

"differentiate between" vs "differentiate from"

Both 'differentiate from' and 'differentiate between' are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'Differentiate from' is used when highlighting the differences between one thing and another, while 'differentiate between' is used when distinguishing among multiple things.

Last Updated: March 19, 2024

This phrase is used to highlight the distinctions or differences among several items or options.

Examples:

It's important to differentiate between the various types of insurance policies.
Can you differentiate between the different shades of blue?
She needs to differentiate between her personal and professional life.
The teacher asked the students to differentiate between fact and opinion.
It's crucial to differentiate between the symptoms of allergies and a cold.

Alternatives:

distinguish between
discern between
tell apart between
contrast between
separate between

This phrase is used to emphasize the distinctions or contrasts between two things.

Examples:

It's important to differentiate the symptoms of flu from those of a cold.
Can you differentiate the original painting from the copy?
She could easily differentiate her twin daughters from each other.
It's hard to differentiate the two species of birds from a distance.
The new model is easy to differentiate from the previous one.

Alternatives:

distinguish from
discern from
tell apart from
contrast with
separate from

Answer 1

differentiate between

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English when distinguishing among multiple things.

Answer 2

differentiate from

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English when highlighting the differences between one thing and another.

"differentiate between" vs "differentiate from"

differentiate between

differentiate from

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