Question
Updated on
30 Nov 2015
- Japanese
-
English (US)
-
English (UK)
Question about English (US)
What is the difference between same and equal ?Feel free to just provide example sentences.
What is the difference between same and equal ?Feel free to just provide example sentences.
Answers
30 Nov 2015
Featured answer
- English (UK)
- English (US)
Same and equal are similar, but "same" can refer more to similar quality between two things, while "equal" refers more to similar amounts between two things. This is usually not a big difference but in some sentences it makes more sense to use one or the other.
For instance:
"The King and Queen do not have the same position, but they have equal power."
You don't say that two things are equal when you are comparing the quality rather than the amount. For instance, this is wrong:
"I am equal to how my father was when he was young."
This is correct:
"I am the same as my father was when he was young."
But you can usually say "the same" in places where you use "equal", except in Mathematics.
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- English (US)
They are somewhat interchangeable. Equal is a more technical term. If you're talking about mathematics then always use equal.
"Two plus two equals four."
"Seven times three equals twenty-one."
"Their lengths are equal."
"Their lengths are the same."
"Their weights are equal."
"Their weights are the same."
"The colors are the same."
"It is the same car."
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- English (UK)
- English (US)
Same and equal are similar, but "same" can refer more to similar quality between two things, while "equal" refers more to similar amounts between two things. This is usually not a big difference but in some sentences it makes more sense to use one or the other.
For instance:
"The King and Queen do not have the same position, but they have equal power."
You don't say that two things are equal when you are comparing the quality rather than the amount. For instance, this is wrong:
"I am equal to how my father was when he was young."
This is correct:
"I am the same as my father was when he was young."
But you can usually say "the same" in places where you use "equal", except in Mathematics.
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- Japanese
- English (US)
- Russian
In math, = is the "equal sign".
This can help you understand I think. 😊
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