"Despite" and "in spite of" have exactly the same meaning (in spite of / despite), but "despite" is more concise and slightly more formal; both are followed by a noun or gerund.
DESPITE: preposition introducing a CONTRAST or CONCESSION. Means "in spite of." Followed by NOUN or GERUND (not a full clause with subject + verb). "Despite the rain, we continued." "Despite feeling tired, she kept working." Single token, more concise. IMPORTANT: DESPITE never takes "of": "despite of the rain" = INCORRECT. Simply: "despite the rain." Slightly more formal than "in spite of" and more frequent in professional written texts.
Despite the tight deadline, the team delivered a polished and comprehensive final report that exceeded the client's expectations.
Despite having limited resources, the startup managed to build a product that directly competed with well-funded industry giants.
The project remained on schedule despite several unexpected technical challenges that emerged during the development phase.
IN SPITE OF: THREE-WORD preposition introducing the same contrast as despite. "In spite of the rain, we continued." "In spite of feeling tired, she kept working." Same uses, same meaning. Used with NOUN or GERUND. More typical of colloquial and informal English than despite. When used to introduce a full subject + verb clause, both require: "despite/in spite of the fact that + clause." "Despite the fact that it was raining" = correct. Shortened: "despite the rain" = correct.
In spite of strong initial resistance from the board, the new sustainability strategy was eventually approved unanimously.
She continued to advocate for the initiative in spite of the setbacks, and her persistence ultimately paid off.
In spite of the economic downturn, the company managed to expand its market share by 12% over the fiscal year.
Common mistake
THREE CLASSIC ERRORS: (1) "Despite of the rain" = INCORRECT. DESPITE NEVER takes "of." Correct: "Despite THE rain" or "In spite OF the rain." (2) "Despite it rained" = INCORRECT. Despite/in spite of take a NOUN or GERUND, not full clauses. For a full clause: "Despite the fact that it rained" or "Although it rained" (subordinating conjunction). (3) Confusing DESPITE/IN SPITE OF (concessive prepositions) with ALTHOUGH/EVEN THOUGH (concessive conjunctions). DESPITE/IN SPITE OF + NOUN/GERUND. ALTHOUGH/EVEN THOUGH + CLAUSE (subject + verb).
Trick to remember it
The TRICK OF WHAT FOLLOWS: DESPITE and IN SPITE OF are followed by NOUN or GERUND. ALTHOUGH and EVEN THOUGH are followed by a FULL CLAUSE (subject + verb). "Despite/In spite of ___" + NOUN: "Despite the rain..." "Despite his effort..." "Despite working hard..." (gerund). "Although/Even though ___" + CLAUSE: "Although it rained..." "Even though he tried hard..." And the "despite of" error: remember that "of" already exists in "in spite OF" — DESPITE is the version without "of". Never duplicate: not "despite of".
Quick rule
Despite = in spite of (+ noun/gerund, no "of"). In spite of = despite (+ noun/gerund, with "of"). Both are identical in meaning. For a full clause with subject + verb: "despite the fact that..." or use "although/even though".
Did you know?
The "despite of" error is so common among non-native English speakers that some linguists have called it the "of-insertion error" — the tendency to insert "of" after "despite" by analogy with "in spite of", "because of", "instead of", and "on behalf of". This family of prepositional phrases with "of" is so productive in English that the learner's mind creates "despite of" by analogy — a form that does not exist but sounds coherent given the pattern of the rest. Learner error corpora show that "despite of" appears in the written productions of speakers of practically every language in the world, making it one of the most universal errors in English as a second language.
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
The company achieved record profits _____ the challenging global economic conditions that characterized most of the fiscal year.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
_____ having worked on the account for five years, she was overlooked for the promotion in favor of a newer team member.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Despite = in spite of (+ noun/gerund, no "of"). In spite of = despite (+ noun/gerund, with "of"). Both are identical in meaning. For a full clause with subject + verb: "despite the fact that..." or use "although/even though".
THREE CLASSIC ERRORS: (1) "Despite of the rain" = INCORRECT. DESPITE NEVER takes "of." Correct: "Despite THE rain" or "In spite OF the rain." (2) "Despite it rained" = INCORRECT. Despite/in spite of take a NOUN or GERUND, not full clauses. For a full clause: "Despite the fact that it rained" or "Although it rained" (subordinating conjunction). (3) Confusing DESPITE/IN SPITE OF (concessive prepositions) with ALTHOUGH/EVEN THOUGH (concessive conjunctions). DESPITE/IN SPITE OF + NOUN/GERUND. ALTHOUGH/EVEN THOUGH + CLAUSE (subject + verb).
The TRICK OF WHAT FOLLOWS: DESPITE and IN SPITE OF are followed by NOUN or GERUND. ALTHOUGH and EVEN THOUGH are followed by a FULL CLAUSE (subject + verb). "Despite/In spite of ___" + NOUN: "Despite the rain..." "Despite his effort..." "Despite working hard..." (gerund). "Although/Even though ___" + CLAUSE: "Although it rained..." "Even though he tried hard..." And the "despite of" error: remember that "of" already exists in "in spite OF" — DESPITE is the version without "of". Never duplicate: not "despite of".
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy