Another word similar to but

Don’t know what to say instead of but? In this article, I will show you eight easy alternatives for the English word but.

The English word but is a short and easy word. It’s one of the first words you learn when you start learning English. 

As a result, we use it a lot. Maybe even too often.

The problem is that you don’t want to sound repetitive.

As a confident English speaker, you want to know good alternative words you can use instead of “but.”

When you write and speak English professionally, it’s good to know other ways to say but.

The Meaning of “But”

alternatives for but

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The English word but is a conjunction. Therefore, we use it to connect two ideas

By saying but, you add another statement.

Usually, this additional idea is different from the first idea. Thus, you can use but to link and contrast two different ideas.

Example: 

It’s been a good year for our business, but we have to do a lot more to reach our goals. 

The meaning of but in the dictionary

Keep Punctuation and Sentence Structure in Mind with “But”

but - Business English vocabulary

What do you have to keep in mind if you want to use alternative words for but?

In most cases, the conjunction but will come after a comma.

The country’s economy is in a recession, but people are still buying our products.

If you are wondering what to say instead of but, remember that you sometimes cannot simply replace the word without changing the sentence.

In some cases, you cannot simply swap the words and leave the rest of the sentence.

Instead, you have to start a second sentence or use a semicolon to divide the two ideas in the sentence.

For most of the alternatives I will show you, you have to change the structure or punctuation of your sentence.

You have two options: Start a new sentence or use a semicolon.

___________________; however,______________.

___________________. However, ______________.

You can use a semicolon when you join two independent clauses together. Here is a list of examples you can use with a semicolon, but there are many others that also work.

  • however
  • moreover
  • therefore
  • consequently
  • otherwise
  • furthermore
  • nevertheless
  • thus
  • yet
  • for example
  • namely

Let’s look at eight ways to say but – but by changing each sentence a bit.

1. however

/ˌhaʊˈev.ɚ/

The word however is most often used to show a contrast. 

You can use however to introduce a different idea by starting a new sentence or by separating two closely related sentences with a semicolon. 

Examples: 

Tim is one potential candidate for the job. However, there are others.

It’s been a good year for our business; however, we have to do a lot more to reach our goals. 

2. though

/ðoʊ/

The word though is another alternative to but. It is mainly used in speaking. 

Examples:

We need to hire help, though it will be difficult to find the right person for the job.

I speak English quite well, though I have never had formal lessons. 

3. whereas

/werˈæz/

The word whereas is a more formal alternative to but. We use it to show a contrast between two ideas. 

Examples: 

She’s very hard-working, whereas I struggle to achieve my goals.

He complained about the problem, whereas I was looking for solutions.

4. although

/ɑːlˈðoʊ/

You can also use although instead of but to link two different statements. 

Although is used more in writing. Just like though, it means ‘in spite of.’ Read more about the difference between though and although here.

Examples: 

I liked the ideas he presented in the meeting, although I don’t think the board will accept them.

This month has been productive overall, although we had to multitask a few times.

5. yet

/jet/

The word yet is used to add a new statement that is in contrast to the first statement. We often use yet in writing and rarely in spoken English.

Examples: 

She’s focused on her career. Yet, she also thrives in her personal life.

He presented very good ideas in the meeting. Yet, I don’t think the board will accept them.

6. except

/ɪkˈsept/

If you want to say but not, you can use the word except instead. It means but not or not  including.

Examples: 

 Our whitepaper includes marketing topics, except social media marketing.

The whole team attended the meeting except Sarah.

7. nevertheless

/ˌnev.ɚ.ðəˈles/

The word nevertheless is a great alternative to but and however. We use the same punctuation as with however: either after a full stop or after a semicolon, then followed by a comma. 

Examples: 

Nevertheless, there may be other reasons that we don’t know about.

It’s been a good year for our business; nevertheless, we have to do a lot more work to reach our goals. 

8. despite this

/dɪˈspaɪt ðɪs/

If you want to replace but, you can also use despite this. This phrase introduces a contrast, as well. In this case, it means that the second statement is not influenced or prevented by what was said before.

Examples:

The country’s economy is in a recession. Despite this, people are still buying our products.

She just returned from a business trip this morning. Despite this, she will attend the meeting.

Pro Tip: Use Writing Tools to See the Words in Context

Grammarly is a helpful tool that I use for all my writing. It’s an English proofreader. You can use the Grammarly app or browser extension to mark spelling, punctuation, and grammar mistakes. Grammarly even gives you suggestions on how to improve these mistakes!

Still not sure what to say instead of but? On the Thesaurus website, you can test which word you can use in your sentence instead of but. This feature is an easy way to see how your sentence looks with different synonyms.

I also recommend Writefull to any English learner. This is a powerful tool that helps you improve your writing for free. Whenever you are not sure how to use a word in English, you can look it up on Writefull and see how it is used in context with examples from real texts, such as books, news, and scientific articles. 

Conclusion

The English conjunction but is a great word. It’s short and useful. 

But… you can also use many other words and phrases instead of but to avoid repetition. 

Moreover, varying your vocabulary lets you communicate more clearly in English.

When swaping but with another word, pay attention to the sentence structure and punctuation – it might have to change. 

When you choose certain alternative words and phrases for but, you have to change the punctuation in your sentence.

Depending on which alternative you chose, you might need to add a semicolon or divide the sentence into two. 

You can use several online tools to help you write correctly in English.

Further Reading: Business English Words

Use these 20 words instead of “very” in business

15 Words to use instead of “good”

What to say instead of “important” in English

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:5.0 / 2 votes

  1. butconjunction

    Merely, only.

    Away but the hoose and tell me whae’s there.

    Synonyms:
    without, with the exception of, unless, bar, excluding, excepting

  2. butconjunction

    However, although, nevertheless (implies that the following clause is contrary to prior belief or contrasts with or contradicts the preceding clause or sentence).

    Synonyms:
    yet, ac, although

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:3.0 / 2 votes

  1. but

    But ranges from the faintest contrast to absolute negation; as, I am willing to go, but (on the other hand) content to stay; he is not an honest man, but (on the contrary) a villain. The contrast may be with a silent thought; as, but let us go (it being understood that we might stay longer). In restrictive use, except and excepting are slightly more emphatic than but; we say, no injury but a scratch; or, no injury except some painful bruises. Such expressions as «words are but breath» (nothing but) may be referred to the restrictive use by ellipsis. So may the use of but in the sense of unless; as, «it never rains but it pours.» To the same head must be referred the conditional use; as, «you may go, but with your father’s consent» (i. e., «provided you have,» «except that you must have,» etc.). «Doubt but» is now less used than the more logical «doubt thatBut never becomes a full synonym for and; and adds something like, but adds something different; «brave and tender» implies that tenderness is natural to the brave; «brave but tender» implies that bravery and tenderness are rarely combined. For the concessive use, compare NOTWITHSTANDING.

    Synonyms:
    and, barely, besides, except, further, however, just, merely, moreover, nevertheless, notwithstanding, notwithstanding, only, provided, save, still, that, tho, unless, yet

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

  1. but

    Synonyms:
    save, except, barring, yet, beside, excluding, still, excepting, notwithstanding

    Antonyms:
    with, including, inclusive, nevertheless, however, notwithstanding

Princeton’s WordNetRate these synonyms:5.0 / 2 votes

  1. merely, simply, just, only, butadverb

    and nothing more

    «I was merely asking»; «it is simply a matter of time»; «just a scratch»; «he was only a child»; «hopes that last but a moment»

    Synonyms:
    solely, plainly, hardly, alone, barely, exclusively, only if, only, entirely, just, scarce, just now, simply, merely, precisely, only when, exactly, scarcely

Editors ContributionRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

  1. unkown

    it is an adjective of many different meaning.but the definition is not the same .

    good,but,it,and

    Submitted by anonymous on April 23, 2020  

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:3.0 / 1 vote

  1. butconj.

    Synonyms:
    on the other hand, on the contrary

  2. butconj.

    Synonyms:
    yet, still, however, nevertheless, moreover, further

  3. butconj.

    Synonyms:
    unless, if it were not that, if it be not that

  4. butconj.

    Synonyms:
    but that, otherwise than that

  5. butprep.

    Synonyms:
    except, excepting

  6. butadjective

    Synonyms:
    only, no more than

  7. butnoun

    Synonyms:
    end (especially the larger end), but-end

  8. butnoun

    Synonyms:
    bound, boundary, mete

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:3.0 / 1 vote

  1. List of paraphrases for «but»:

    however, yet, ale, although, though, nevertheless, most, except, only, without, .but, mais, fta, rather, pa, aber, efa, pero, ma, nonetheless, albeit

Suggested Resources

  1. BUT

    What does BUT stand for? — Explore the various meanings for the BUT acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.

How to pronounce but?

How to say but in sign language?

How to use but in a sentence?

  1. Russian President Vladimir Putin:

    There is no doubt that we will properly overcome the challenges that have confronted us, our people often say: God helps those who help themselves. And that is how were acting. But on this radiant holiday of Christs resurrection, I would still like to say: All will be well, with Gods help.

  2. Abigail Van Buren:

    It is true that I was born in Iowa, but I can’t speak for my twin sister.

  3. Michel Trudeau:

    I do not feel that I acted inappropriately in any way but I respect the fact that someone else might have experienced that differently, if I apologized later then it would be because I sensed that she was not entirely comfortable with the interaction we had.

  4. Jakob Kern:

    The situation is quite volatile and fluid in northern Aleppo with families on the move seeking safety, we are extremely concerned as access and supply routes from the north to eastern Aleppo city and surrounding areas are now cut off, but we are making every effort to get enough food in place for all those in need, bringing it in through the remaining open border crossing point from Turkey.

  5. Le Maire:

    There is a fair agreement that paves the way for fair Brexit, we are open for clarifications, but do not want to reopen the deal… If the British are asking for more delay, we have to understand what for?


Translations for but

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

  • maar, behalweAfrikaans
  • سوى, لكن, إلا, ولكن, لاكنArabic
  • ammaAzerbaijani
  • але, а, акрамяBelarusian
  • ноBulgarian
  • কিন্তুBengali
  • menys, excepte, però, encara queCatalan, Valencian
  • vyjma, ale, kromě, jenžeCzech
  • heblaw am, er, ac eithrioWelsh
  • men, undtagen, udenDanish
  • aber, sondern, nicht, außer, als, nur, trotzdemGerman
  • αλλά, με εξαίρεση, αν και, παρόλο, μα, καίτοι, μολονότι, εκτός, πληνGreek
  • sed, tamen, escepte de, kromEsperanto
  • sino, excepto, salvo, aunque, sólo, solamente, peroSpanish
  • kuid, peale, entEstonian
  • nahiz eta, baina, izan ezik, salbuBasque
  • بجز, مگر, اگرچه, گرچه, ولی, اما, با این حالPersian
  • vaan, paitsi, muttaFinnish
  • men, uttanFaroese
  • que, mais, seulement, cependant, saufFrench
  • marWestern Frisian
  • achIrish
  • achScottish Gaelic
  • mais, peroGalician
  • אבל, אך, פרט ל, ברם, אולם, למעטHebrew
  • लेकिन, मगर, परंतुHindi
  • azonban, viszont, csak, hanem, deHungarian
  • բայց, բացիArmenian
  • namun, tetapi, tapi, kecualiIndonesian
  • en, heldurIcelandic
  • però, a parte, eccetto, ma, salvo, tuttaviaItalian
  • -raluaq-, -galuaq-, -kaluaq-, kisiani, -liInuktitut
  • だけ, しかし, けど, しか, でも, けれども, が, けれど, 以外Japanese
  • არამედ, მაგრამ, გარდაGeorgian
  • бірақKazakh
  • kisianni, -li, -kaluar-, -raluar-, -galuar-Kalaallisut, Greenlandic
  • ប៉ុន្តែ, ដែរ, ក៏ប៉ុន្តែ, តែ, ចៀសតែKhmer
  • 그러나Korean
  • feqet, lê, megerçi, هه‌روه‌ها, meger, ema, gerçi, به‌ڵام, جگه, ئه‌گه‌ر چیKurdish
  • бирокKyrgyz
  • ut, quamvis, licet, sedLatin
  • ແຕ່Lao
  • oLithuanian
  • bet, tačuLatvian
  • ноMacedonian
  • харинMongolian
  • tetapi, kecualiMalay
  • imma, mingħajr, iżda, minbarraMaltese
  • သို့ရာတွင်Burmese
  • behalve, maar, echterDutch
  • men, foruten, bortsett fra, unntatt, ennNorwegian
  • ndiNavajo, Navaho
  • ale, chociaż, z wyjątkiem, opróczPolish
  • porém, salvo, embora, mas, excetoPortuguese
  • però, cumbain che, maRomansh
  • darRomanian
  • но, кроме, только, а, лишьRussian
  • осим, али, sem, сем, ali, osimSerbo-Croatian
  • okrem, ale, avšakSlovak
  • čepràv, a, tóda, àmpak, rázenSlovene
  • porAlbanian
  • ha e se, empaSouthern Sotho
  • fast, utan, men, utom, förutomSwedish
  • лекин, аммо, валеTajik
  • แต่ว่า, แต่Thai
  • emmaTurkmen
  • fakat, ama, ancak, hariçTurkish
  • ә, әммаTatar
  • але, а, крімUkrainian
  • مگر, لیکنUrdu
  • lekin, biroq, ammoUzbek
  • nhưng, nhưng màVietnamese
  • אָבערYiddish
  • Chinese
  • kodwaZulu

Get even more translations for but »

Translation

Find a translation for the but synonym in other languages:

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  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Citation

Use the citation below to add these synonyms to your bibliography:

Are we missing a good synonym for but?

What is another word for But?

  • part of speech, exclusion

  • nevertheless, furthermore

  • apart from, indicating an exception

  • conversely, indicating contrast

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Other Words for BUT: Helpful List of 21 Synonyms for But with ESL Pictures

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But Synonym! What is another word for but? Helpful list of 20+ synonyms for but with example sentences and ESL infographics. Learning these but synonyms to strengthen your vocabulary words and improve your English writing skill.

But Synonym

Synonyms for But

“But” is a common contrast transition word in English. Learn a useful list of synonyms for but in English.

  • Withal
  • Yet
  • Although
  • Still and all
  • Though
  • Whereas
  • Even so
  • However
  • In contrast
  • On the contrary
  • On the other hand
  • Be that as it may
  • But still
  • But then
  • By contrast
  • Contrarily
  • Conversely
  • Despite that
  • Nevertheless
  • Nonetheless
  • Notwithstanding

Another Word for But | Infographic

Other Words for BUT: Helpful List of 21 Synonyms for But with ESL PicturesPin

Other Words for But

But Synonyms with Examples

Learn another word for but with example sentences.

  • Withal

Withal, I always hold an optimistic attitudes.

  • Yet

The tongue is but three inches long, yet it can kill a man six feet high.

  • Still and all

 Even though you dislike us, still and all you should be polite.

  • Though

The tongue breaks bone, though itself has none.

  • Whereas

 Death is so final, whereas life is so full of possibilities.

  • Even so

I had a terrible headache, even so I went to the concert.

  • However

 This is a cheap and simple process. However there are dangers.

  • In contrast

In contrast, the lives of girls in well-to-do families were often very sheltered.

  • On the contrary

You think you are clever; on the contrary, I assure that you are very foolish.

  • On the other hand

I’d like to eat out, on the other hand I should be trying to save money.

  • Be that as it may

I accept that he’s old and frail; be that as it may, he’s still a good politician.

  • But still

We waited on for another hour, but still she didn’t come.

  • But then

I thought the mouse was dead, but then it gave a slight twitch.

  • By contrast

 By contrast, Gordon says, the Net fails on several counts.

  • Contrarily

Also, Briticism is not coarse, contrarily, it has a gentle breath.

  • Conversely

Conversely, you might say that it is ridiculous.

  • Despite that

Despite that, it is hardy and rarely gets diseases, but has not been tank-bred.

  • Nevertheless

The news may be unexpected; nevertheless it is true.

  • Nonetheless

The problems are not serious. Nonetheless, we shall need to tackle them soon.

  • Notwithstanding

 Donna won fame and fortune, notwithstanding, she never forgot her hometown.

Other Words fort But with Examples | Infographic

Other Words for BUT: Helpful List of 21 Synonyms for But with ESL PicturesPin

as in except

not including

brought everything but the kitchen table to the campground

as in just

nothing more than

she is but a child and too young to understand such things

as in yet

if it were not for the fact that

I would have said something but I was too chicken

Thesaurus Entries Near but

Cite this Entry

“But.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/but. Accessed 13 Apr. 2023.

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Vocabulary Tips: Alternatives to “But” for Academic Writing

You’ll use some terms frequently in your written work. “But” is one of these words: the twenty-second most common word in English, in fact! Consequently, you shouldn’t worry too much about the repetition of “but” in your writing. But if you find yourself using it in every other sentence, you might want to try a few alternatives. How about the following?

Other Conjunctions

“But” is a conjunction (i.e., a linking word) used to introduce a contrast. For example, we could use it in a sentence expressing contrasting opinions about Queen guitarist Brian May and his hairdo:

I like Brian May, but I find his hair ridiculous.

One option to reduce repetition of “but” in writing is to use the word “yet:”

I like Brian May, yet I find his hair ridiculous.

“Yet” can often replace “but” in a sentence without changing anything else, as both are coordinating conjunctions that can introduce a contrast.

Alternatively, you could use one of these subordinating conjunctions:

  • Although (e.g., I like Brian May, although I find his hair ridiculous.)
  • Though (e.g., I like Brian May, though I find his hair ridiculous.)
  • Even though (e.g., I like Brian May, even though I find his hair ridiculous.)

As subordinating conjunctions, these terms can also be used at the start of a sentence. This isn’t the case with “but,” though:

Though I like Brian May, I find his hair ridiculous. – Correct

But I like Brian May, I find his hair ridiculous. – Incorrect

Other subordinating conjunctions used to introduce a contrast include “despite” and “whereas.” If you’re going to use “despite” in place of “but,” you may need to rephrase the sentence slightly. For instance:

Despite liking Brian May, I find his hair ridiculous.

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I like Brian May’s guitar solos, whereas I find his hair ridiculous.

How to Use “However”

One common replacement for “but” in academic writing is “however.” But we use this adverb to show a sentence contrasts with something previously said. As such, rather than connecting two parts of a sentence, it should only be used after a semicolon or in a new sentence:

I like Brian May’s guitar solos. However, I find his hair ridiculous.

I like Brian May’s guitar solos; however, I find his hair ridiculous.

“However” can be used mid-sentence, separated by commas. Even then, though, you should separate the sentence in which it appears from the one with which it is being contrasted. For instance:

I like Brian May’s guitar solos. I do, however, find his hair ridiculous.

Here, again, the “however” sentence contrasts with the preceding one.

Other Adverbial Alternatives to “But”

Other contrasting adverbs and adverbial phrases can be used in similar ways to “however” above. Alternatives include:

  • Conversely (I like Brian May’s guitar solos. Conversely, I find his hair ridiculous.)
  • Nevertheless (I like Brian May; nevertheless, I find his hair ridiculous.)
  • In contrast (I like Brian May’s guitar solos. In contrast, I find his hair ridiculous.)

One popular phrase for introducing a contrast is “on the other hand.” In formal writing, though, this should always follow from “on the one hand:”

On the one hand, I like Brian May’s music, so I do admire him. On the other hand, his hairstyle is terrifying, so I do worry about him.

Finally, if you’re ever unsure which terms to use as alternatives to “but” in writing, having your document proofread by the experts can help.

What is another word for but?

2896 synonyms found

Pronunciation:

[ bˈʌt], [ bˈʌt], [ b_ˈʌ_t]

How to use «But» in context?

Many people use «but» as an alternative to «although.» While «although» may be acceptable in some situations, «but» is often seen as more informal. For example, instead of saying «I ate a pizza, but I didn’t like it,» a person might say «I ate a pizza, but I didn’t like it.» This is seen as being less formal, and it often has a less severe tone.

BUT Synonym! Following are alternative words you can use instead of BUT in English. Each synonym will have an example sentence to help you understand the word clearly.

BUT Synonym List

Learn list of BUT synonyms in English.

  • although
  • though
  • yet
  • only
  • however
  • except
  • nevertheless
  • nonetheless
  • alternatively
  • on the other hand
  • still
  • except for
  • in contrast
  • whereas
  • on the contrary
  • otherwise

Learn synonyms for BUT with example sentences.

  • Although

Although she is very poor, she has not lost her dignity.

  • However

You won’t move that stone, however strong you are.

  • Except

I can give up anything in the world except you.

  • Nevertheless

The news may be unexpected;nevertheless it is true.

  • On the other hand

On the other hand, it keeps us amused, so what the hell?

  • Still

There is still snow on the mountain tops.

  • Though

Though she’s almost 40, she still plans to compete.

  • Yet

It is said that a cat hath nine lives, yet care would wear them all out.

  • Only

A man is only as good as what he loves.

  • Except for

Except for smoking and drinking, he is a thrifty man.

  • In contrast

In contrast with your belief that we will fail, I am confident that we will succeed

  • Whereas

Death is so final, whereas life is so full of possibilities.

  • On the contrary

It doesn’t seem ugly to me; on the contrary, I think it’s rather beautiful.

  • Nonetheless

Though he’s fool, I like him nonetheless.

  • Alternatively

Alternatively, you can obtain one from any accredited insurance valuer.

  • Otherwise

Walk slowly on the ice,otherwise you’ll fall.

Another Word for BUT | Infographic

Another Word for BUT: 16 Alternative Ways to Say BUT with Examples

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