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Although, despite, or in spite of
Although comes before a full clause; despite and in spite of come before a noun or an -ing form and mean the same thing.
Quick rule
A clause with a subject and verb? Although. A noun or an -ing form? Despite, or in spite of: same meaning, and the long one keeps its of.
It introduces a full clause, with a subject and a verb: although it was raining.
It comes before a noun or an -ing form, with no of: despite the rain. It is a little more formal than in spite of.
Same meaning as despite, in three words. It comes before a noun or an -ing form: in spite of the rain.
How to choose
| Question | although | despite | in spite of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Can a clause with a subject and verb come right after it (it was cold)? | Yes | No | No |
| Does it end in of? | No | No | Yes |
| Can a noun follow it (the rain)? | No | Yes | Yes |
Why it trips people up
Although is a conjunction, so a full clause follows it. Despite and in spite of are prepositions: a noun or an -ing form follows them. The two prepositions mean the same, and blending them produces despite of, which isn't standard.
How each one works
Although
At the start, before a clause
Although it was raining, we went for a walk.
After a comma, like but
I enjoyed the movie, although it was a bit long.
Without a verb, in careful writing
Although tired, she finished the report.
Despite
Despite + noun
Despite the rain, the game went on.
Despite + -ing form
Despite feeling sick, he went to work.
Before a clause: despite the fact that
She got the job despite the fact that she had no experience.
In spite of
In spite of + noun
In spite of the traffic, we arrived on time.
In spite of + -ing form
In spite of having a cold, she sang beautifully.
In spite of yourself: without meaning to
He laughed in spite of himself.
What comes next
although plus subject plus verb
Although he is rich, he lives in a small apartment.
clause plus , although plus clause
The test was hard, although I passed.
despite plus noun
Despite his age, he runs every morning.
despite plus -ing form
Despite living in Paris for years, she never learned French.
in spite of plus noun
The plane took off in spite of the storm.
in spite of plus -ing form
In spite of losing the first game, they won the series.
Almost the same
Although it rained, we played.
A full clause follows: subject and verb.
Despite the rain, we played.
Same meaning, but a noun follows.
In spite of the rain, we played.
Same as despite, in the longer form with of.
In a conversation
- A:
How was the beach trip?
- B:
Great, despite the traffic on the way there.
- A:
Did it rain? I saw clouds all morning.
- B:
A little, although it stopped by noon.
- A:
And you went swimming in spite of the cold water?
- B:
Of course! We'd driven three hours to get there.
Common mistakes
Wrong: In spite the rain, the match went ahead.
Right: In spite of the rain, the match went ahead.
In spite needs of before the noun. Without of, the word is despite.
Wrong: Inspite of the delay, we made it.
Right: In spite of the delay, we made it.
In spite of is three separate words; Cambridge flags inspite as incorrect.
Memory trick
Look at what follows. A subject and a verb: although. A noun or an -ing form: despite or in spite of. The of belongs to the long one: in spite of.
It depends
- Despite the fact that
- To put a full clause after despite or in spite of, add the fact that: despite the fact that it was April. It is wordier than although.
- Which one is more formal?
- Cambridge describes despite as a little more formal than in spite of. Grammatically they behave the same way.
- Although with no subject
- In formal writing, although can take an adjective or an -ing form with no subject: Although small, the kitchen works well; although working harder this term. Cambridge calls these reduced clauses.
FAQ
Despite or in spite of: which is correct?
Both are correct and mean the same. Despite is one word with no of; in spite of is three words and keeps its of.
Is "despite of" correct?
No. Write despite the delay or in spite of the delay. Despite of is a blend of the two.
Although or despite?
Check what follows. A clause with a verb takes although (although it was late); a noun or an -ing form takes despite (despite the late hour).