Practice
Begin and start: understand the difference
Sign in to saveA meeting can begin at nine, and it can start at nine. In that sentence, the meaning is almost the same. The choice changes when you talk about a car, a new job, or the tone of what you are saying.
Choose begin or start for the first part of an action, use their common verb patterns, and recognize situations where start is the natural or necessary choice.
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
begin / began / begun / start / started /bɪˈɡɪn/ /bɪˈɡæn/ /bɪˈɡʌn/ /stɑrt/ /ˈstɑrtɪd/
The short answer
Use begin or start for the first part of an action or event. Start is more common in everyday speech. Use begin when a more formal tone fits. Use start, not begin, for a machine, a vehicle, a journey, or some other special meanings of start.
The workshop begins at nine, but we can start the discussion a few minutes earlier.
Why it works: Both verbs describe the first part of an activity. Begin sounds slightly more formal in the timetable-style sentence.
6 more examples
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The film begins at seven, so please arrive before then.
Begin is natural in a schedule or announcement about an event.
Not this:The film
starts at seven, so please arrive before then. What changes: Start has the same basic meaning here and is common in everyday speech. -
Mina began writing the summary after the interview.
Begin can introduce an activity that Mina did first.
Not this:Mina
started to writethe summary after the interview. What changes: Start also works before a to-infinitive. The difference is mostly one of tone. -
The committee began the meeting with a short introduction.
The sentence has a formal setting, so begin fits naturally.
Not this:The committee
started the meetingwith a short introduction. What changes: Start is also correct and sounds less formal. -
I started the car before checking the map.
Start means make a vehicle operate. Begin does not have this everyday meaning.
Not this:I
began checkingthe map before the trip. What changes: Begin works with the activity checking, but not with the car. -
The runners started their journey before sunrise.
Start is the usual verb when people set off on a journey.
Not this:The runners
began trainingfor the journey in April. What changes: Begin describes the first part of training, which is an activity. -
The city began a new recycling program this spring.
Begin can introduce a formal plan or program.
Not this:The city
started a new recycling programthis spring. What changes: Start is also correct and more likely in ordinary conversation.
Read the full guide
First ask whether you mean the first part of an action or event. If you do, begin and start will often both work. Then consider the setting. In ordinary conversation, start is usually the easier choice. In a schedule, announcement, or formal piece of writing, begin may fit the tone better. Finally, check whether start has one of its special meanings.
Choose either verb for a first action
When a person starts doing something or an event starts happening, begin and start often give the same basic meaning. You can choose either verb for a class, a meeting, a task, or an activity. Start is the usual choice in relaxed conversation.
We started the class with a quick review.
We began the class with a quick review means the same thing, but it sounds more formal.
Use begin for a more formal tone
Begin is common in schedules, formal announcements, and careful writing. A concert, ceremony, or meeting can begin at a stated time. In an ordinary chat, start often sounds more natural, even when both verbs are correct.
The ceremony will begin after the guests are seated.
Which verb is more common when you tell a friend that a movie is about to happen?
Start is more common in everyday speech: The movie starts soon.
Use the common verb patterns
Both verbs can take a noun, an -ing form, or a to-infinitive. Choose the form that matches the rest of your sentence. The choice between begin and start usually does not change the grammar pattern.
Ravi began to organize the files.
Ravi started organizing the files is also correct. Both verbs can be followed by an -ing form or a to-infinitive in this kind of sentence.
Remember that begin is irregular
Begin changes to began in the past simple and begun after have, has, or had. Start follows the regular pattern started. The verb form is often the clearest difference learners need to remember.
The rain began before lunch and had begun to fall heavily by noon.
The rain started before lunch and had started to fall heavily by noon uses the regular form started.
Use start for machines and journeys
Start has meanings that begin does not share. Use start when you make a machine or vehicle operate. It is also the normal verb for setting off on a trip or creating a business or project.
Could you start the printer while I find the document?
Could you begin the printer is not natural because begin does not mean make a machine operate.
Which verb fits when someone makes an engine operate?
Use start: They started the engine.
Before you go
Remember this
Begin and start usually mean the same thing when an action or event enters its first part. Start is common in everyday speech; begin often sounds more formal. Both work with many nouns, -ing forms, and to-infinitives. Use start for a machine, vehicle, journey, and its other special meanings.
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 "Begin and start: understand the difference"
Can I use begin and start in the same sentence?
Yes. They can appear in the same sentence when each one has a clear job. A schedule may say that a workshop begins at nine, while a speaker says, Let's start with the first question. The two verbs share the idea of a first step, but begin gives the schedule a more formal tone.
The film begins at seven, so please arrive before then.
Is begin more formal than start?
Usually, yes. Begin often fits a schedule, ceremony, formal announcement, or careful piece of writing. Start is more common in ordinary conversation. Both are correct for many actions and events, so formality is a useful guide rather than an absolute rule.
The film starts at seven, so please arrive before then.
Do begin and start use the same grammar patterns?
Often they do. Both can take a noun, an -ing form, or a to-infinitive: begin the task, begin working, begin to work; start the task, start working, start to work. Check the meaning as well as the grammar, because start has some uses that begin does not share.
Mina began writing the summary after the interview.
What are the past forms of begin and start?
Begin is irregular. Use began for the past simple and begun for the past participle: The meeting began late; the meeting has begun. Start is regular: The meeting started late; the meeting has started. The form begun needs have, has, or had before it.
Mina started to write the summary after the interview.
When can I use start but not begin?
Use start when you make a machine or vehicle operate, such as start the car or start the printer. Start is also the usual verb for setting off on a journey and has other special meanings, including a sudden movement from surprise. Begin does not normally replace start in those uses.
The committee began the meeting with a short introduction.