B1verbacademiclanguage
US/dɪˈstɪŋ.ɡwɪʃ/
UK/dɪˈstɪŋ.ɡwɪʃ/
to see or show the difference between two things or people
In context
Young children cannot always distinguish between fact and opinion online.
Many Vietnamese learners find it hard to distinguish the sounds in 'ship' and 'sheep'.
What distinguishes a good essay from an average one is a clear argument.
Words that go with distinguish
verb + preposition
- distinguish betweenStudents must learn to distinguish between reliable and unreliable sources.
adverb + verb
- clearly distinguishA good writer clearly distinguishes facts from personal views.
- barely distinguishIn the noisy room, I could barely distinguish one voice from another.
verb + noun
- distinguish fact from fictionIt is getting harder to distinguish fact from fiction on social media.
- help distinguishSmall details help distinguish one dialect from another.
Common mistakes
Incorrect:
I can't distinguish these two words together.Correct: I can't distinguish between these two words.