The Difference Between ‘Although’ and ‘Though’ Simplified

While writing your research manuscript, you must have come across words with a difference in meaning so slight that it made you wonder which one to choose. In some cases, authors may not even realize there is a difference, for instance, in the words although and though. So what is the difference between though and although, and can they be used interchangeably? How do you decide which one to use? We’ll help you answer all these questions in the article below. 

Let’s understand the difference between though and although

If although and though seem interchangeable at first, it’s because in some instances they are. If you understand the meaning of the terms, you will see that both the words are used to speak about contrasting situations or ideas. 

As a rule, both though and although are used as subordinating conjunctions, the difference being that though is sometimes also used as an adverb.  

When you use though as a conjunction, it means nevertheless or however. For example, “Max ordered a pizza though his mother had cooked food at home.” Now here, I could easily replace though with although, and the meaning of the sentence would remain unchanged. For example, “Max ordered a pizza although his mother had cooked food at home.” 

But the catch here is that you can use though as an adverb too. For example, “Max ordered a pizza, his mother had cooked food at home, though. So to make the difference between though and although clear, remember: both though and although can be used interchangeably when they are used as conjunctions, but though is sometimes also used as an adverb. 

How to use although in a sentence

Use the word although to introduce a subordinate clause when you are mentioning something that contrasts with what you are saying in the main clause.   

Although sentence examples

Here are some examples to help you understand the usage of although better.  

• Although the plants are just a small part of his business, he takes care of them as if they were his own babies.
• Keith is coming to stay with us next week although I’m not sure what time he is arriving.

Quick note: Although is never used as an adverb. 

How to use though in a sentence

Similar to although, use the word though to introduce a subordinate clause when you are mentioning something that contrasts with what you are saying in the main clause. You can also sometimes use though as an adverb.  

Though sentence examples

Look at these examples to understand the two different ways you can use though.  

• Roger turned up for the seminar though he had a sprained neck. (conjunction)
• The supervisor did not the like the manuscript. It had a lot of interesting information though. (adverb)

Quick note: The word though is not very commonly used in formal English and is more often used in speech and casual writing.  

Conclusion

If you are still unsure what the difference between though and although is, we recommend using though for two reasons. First, both the words are interchangeable when used as conjunctions, meaning that anywhere you would use although, you can write though instead. Second, though has the extra adverbial meaning, so if you use though, you’ll be safe no matter what you’re writing.