What does difference mean?
Word: Difference
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Difference means the way in which two things are not the same; in maths, the amount left when one number is taken away from another.
Synonyms: contrast, gap, variation
Antonyms: likeness
How do you spell difference?
Syllables: dif - fer - ence
Tricky part: The ending is ence, not ance, even though both sound the same.
Watch out for: differance, differense
Memory tip: A fence keeps two gardens apart, and difference ends with the same four letters: ence.
Idioms and Phrases
- split the difference: to agree on an amount halfway between two amounts Example: "The seller wanted 60 pounds and Papa offered 40, so they split the difference at 50."
Difference in a sentence
Example 1: Spot five differences between the two pictures.
Example 2: Twins can look so alike that only their mother can see the difference.
Example 3: Drinking enough water makes a real difference on a hot day.
Fun Fact
In maths, the answer to a subtraction sum is called the difference, so the difference between 9 and 4 is 5.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) favourite
b) yesterday
c) diference
d) together
Show answer
c) diference. Difference keeps the double f of differ.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word:
difference
a) problem
b) answer
c) similarity
d) distance
Show answer
c) similarity. Similarity means being alike, the opposite of a difference.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Grandpa can tell the diffrence between a sparrow and a myna just by their calls.
a) sparrow
b) diffrence
c) calls
d) Grandpa
Show answer
b) diffrence. The middle e, which we hardly hear, has been dropped.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
fdinerecfe
a) difference
b) dfiference
c) difefrence
d) diffreence
Show answer
a) difference. Di begins it, as in dinner; the ending matches fence.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What is the difference between 15 and 9?
a) 24
b) 5
c) 135
d) 6
Show answer
d) 6
2. Which pair shows a clear difference in size?
a) an ant and an elephant
b) a pair of socks
c) two identical twins
d) two one-pound coins
Show answer
a) an ant and an elephant
