Practice
Among and between: choose the right preposition
Sign in to saveYour phone may be among the books on the table. A path may run between two buildings. The choice depends on the relationship you want to show.
Choose among or between by deciding whether the sentence describes a group as a whole or a relationship involving distinct people, things, or places.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
among the trees /əˈmʌŋ ðə triːz/
The short answer
Use among for a position or action within a group. Use between for a relationship involving distinct items, including more than two when you name or treat them separately.
The note was hidden among the newspapers.
Why it works: The newspapers are treated as one surrounding group.
5 more examples
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A small café stood among the market stalls.
The café is surrounded by stalls treated as a group.
Not this:The café stood
between the bank and the post office. What changes: Between identifies two separate reference points on either side of the café. -
She felt comfortable among her new colleagues.
The colleagues are a social group rather than separate sides of a relationship.
Not this:There was a disagreement
between two colleagues. What changes: The disagreement connects two distinct people. -
The trail runs between the lake and the forest.
The lake and the forest are separate places that frame the trail.
Not this:We walked
among the treesbeside the lake. What changes: The trees form a surrounding group through which the walkers move. -
The difference between the three plans was clear after the meeting.
Between is possible with three plans because the sentence compares distinct options.
Not this:The three plans were discussed
among the committee members. What changes: Among shows that the discussion happened within the committee as a group. -
The prize money was shared among the winners.
The winners receive a general share within the group.
Not this:The budget was divided
between the three departments. What changes: The departments are treated as separate parties in a division.
Read the full guide
Ask what the noun after the preposition represents. If it is a group that surrounds something or shares something generally, among is often the natural choice. If the sentence compares, connects, separates, or divides particular people, objects, or places, between is usually better. A sentence can mention three or more items and still use between.
Begin with the relationship
Both words connect one thing with other things. Among usually places it inside a group. Between usually shows a relationship from one distinct item to another. Picture the scene and decide whether the other nouns act as a group or as separate reference points.
Her bag was among the chairs in the waiting area.
The chairs surround the bag as a group, so among is natural.
A footpath has a field on one side and a canal on the other. Which preposition fits?
Use between: The footpath runs between the field and the canal.
Use among for a group
Use among when someone or something is included in a group, surrounded by it, or acting within it. The members may be people, objects, plants, or ideas. You do not need to point to an individual member for among to make sense.
A red folder was mixed among the blue folders.
The blue folders form a group around the red one.
News of the move spread quickly among the neighbors.
The news moves within a community, not across a defined pair of people.
Use between for distinct sides or connections
Use between when a sentence identifies separate sides of a relationship. The relationship may be physical space, a difference, a choice, an agreement, or communication. Each item has its own role in the connection.
The bridge connects the old town and the harbor.
You can describe the bridge's location as between the old town and the harbor because each place is a distinct point.
We need to choose between the morning and afternoon sessions.
The sentence presents two separate options for a choice.
Do not rely only on the number
Between is not limited to two nouns. It can be used with three or more items when a sentence compares them or describes a relationship among distinct parties. The important question is whether the reader needs to see separate connections.
The agreement was between the school, the library, and the sports center.
There are three parties, but each party is named separately in one agreement.
You are comparing four separate routes. Which word is likely to fit?
Use between: We compared the travel times between the four routes.
Choose carefully with sharing and discussion
Sharing and discussion can use either word, depending on the meaning. Use among when the action happens generally within a group. Use between when you want to show distinct participants, separate shares, or a direct relationship between parties.
The organizer passed the forms among the volunteers.
The forms move around within the volunteer group.
The coordinator negotiated between the supplier, the venue, and the caterer.
The coordinator works across separate parties with different roles.
Before you go
Remember this
Use among for something within or surrounded by a group. Use between for a relationship involving distinct people, things, or places. Between can work with more than two items when the sentence treats them separately.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Among and between: choose the right preposition"
What is the basic difference between among and between?
Among usually means within or surrounded by a group. Between usually describes a relationship involving distinct people, things, or places. The context tells you whether the other nouns act as a group or as separate points.
A small café stood among the market stalls.
Can I use between with more than two things?
Yes. Use between with three or more items when the sentence compares them, connects them, or treats them as distinct parties. A difference or agreement can exist between several named items.
The café stood between the bank and the post office.
When should I use among with people?
Use among when people are treated as a group. It can show that someone belongs within a group, moves through it, or shares information or objects with the group. Individual relationships do not need to be the focus.
She felt comfortable among her new colleagues.
Which word should I use for sharing something?
Use among when you mean a general share within a group. Use between when the sentence focuses on separate recipients, shares, or parties. Both can be possible when the context supports either point of view.
There was a disagreement between two colleagues.
Is the rule between for two and among for more than two always correct?
No. It is a useful starting point for simple positions, but it is incomplete. Between can describe a relationship among three or more distinct items, while among is often used for a group seen as a whole.
The trail runs between the lake and the forest.