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One is used with two elements, the other with three or more.
Side-by-side comparison
"Between" is used when talking about two clearly distinct things or people. Also with three or more if you treat them as separate, individual elements.
The agreement is between Spain and France.
She sat between her two brothers.
Choose between tea and coffee.
"Among" is used when something is surrounded by a group or mass with no individual distinction. "Lost among the crowd" = lost within a crowd, not singling anyone out.
She distributed the gifts among the children.
He is popular among his colleagues.
Among the options available, this is the best.
Common mistake
- •Using "between" with groups of more than two is the most noted mistake: "Divide the money between the five of us" (formally correct: among the five of us).
- •"Between" is for two distinct elements.
Trick to remember it
- •"Between" = exactly 2 distinct elements (between A and B).
- •"Among" = 3 or more, or a group.
- •"Between" highlights a clear boundary; "among" suggests immersion in a group.
Quick rule
- •Exactly two elements? Use "between".
- •Three or more, or a group? Use "among".
Did you know?
In modern informal English, "between" is increasingly used with groups of three or more, and the distinction with "among" is fading. "Between the three of us" is widely accepted in speech. In formal writing, "among" for groups of three or more is still the safer choice. Modern corporate style guides are increasingly accepting "between" with any number of participants, which means the rule may eventually disappear entirely.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
The secret was kept _____ the two of them. Nobody else knew.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
She was very popular _____ her classmates.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
One is for things you can count, the other is for things you cannot count.
'A' is used before consonant sounds; 'an' is used before vowel sounds.
'A lot of' works for countable and uncountable; 'many' only for countable; 'much' only for uncountable.
'According to' cites an external source; 'based on' indicates the evidence behind a claim.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy