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”
*Note: This article may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link.
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”
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
The word but is a useful word that often ominously precedes a lot of bad news or tough criticism. But is a word that appears in many of our sentences and is one of the most commonly used words in the English language. But–and this is a big but–we might be overusing the word just a bit. It makes sense why we would overlay on but; after all, it is a short little word that can easily connect sentences together. However, there are so many other words and phrases that sadly aren’t getting to shine with but hogging all the spotlight. The word but may not like it, but it is time for but to butt out and let someone else slip into our sentences for a little while.
What does but mean, and why do we use it so much?
The word but is often used in two major ways: to express a contrast or to express an exception. The sentence Jenny is tall, but her parents are short is an example of but used to show contrast; Jenny’s height is totally different from her parents’. The sentence Everyone but Rahul was right-handed shows how but is used to express exception; Rahul is the only left-handed person, which makes him unique from everybody else.
In addition to having these two very common uses, the word but is also one of the seven coordinating conjunctions. In short, coordinating conjunctions allow us to easily connect independent sentences by simply using a comma. For example, we can combine the two shorter sentences Rabbits are fast and Turtles are slow into the larger sentence Rabbits are fast, but turtles are slow. This is a fairly easy way of combining sentences, so we often rely on but to join sentences together.
That isn’t all, though. Besides its big job as a conjunction, but can also be used as a preposition as in We tried everything but the kitchen sink or as an adverb as in There is but one road that leads to safety. With how versatile and useful the word but is, it is no wonder that we might overwork it sometimes!
✏️ Examples of but in sentences
The following examples show some of the different ways we often use but in sentences:
- I thought the book was really boring, but everyone else liked it.
- Nobody but Camila was able to last more than five minutes in the cold water.
- We could do nothing but stare in horror as the sandcastle collapsed.
- She knew of only but one way to calm the crowd: Karaoke!
Alternatives of contrast
The first major way we use but is to show contrast, contradiction, or opposition. Luckily for us, there are plenty of other words we can use to show relationships like these. In fact, we can find one among but’s coordinating conjunction friends in the word yet. Because yet is also a coordinating conjunction, we can swap it in for but without even needing to change the sentence. For example:
• We need a new car, but we can’t afford one.
• We need a new car, yet we can’t afford one.
While yet is an easy substitution for but to mean contrast, it isn’t the only option. Some other useful words and phrases that can fill in this role include:
• although, despite, however, nevertheless, nonetheless, notwithstanding, still, though, even though, on the other hand
Typically, we can use one of the above words/phrases in place of but while only making small changes to our sentences and without changing the sentence’s meaning. For example:
• The flight is on Saturday, but it might be delayed because of snow.
• The flight is on Saturday. However, it might be delayed because of snow.
Put some fun into your language by using these alternatives to fun.
Make the swap
The following pairs of sentences show how we can express a contrast by first using but and then by swapping it out for a similar word. Notice that the new sentences still express the same meaning.
• The painting looks great, but something is still missing.
• The painting looks great, yet something is still missing.
• The soldiers were heavily outnumbered, but they stood their ground anyway.
• The soldiers were heavily outnumbered. Nevertheless, they stood their ground anyway.
• Jessie and James act mean, but they are good people at heart.
• Jessie and James act mean. Still, they are good people at heart.
Alternatives of exception
The second major way that we use but is to express an exception. Again, we have a variety of different words and phrases with the same meaning that we can use to give but a break. Some of these words include:
• except, barring, save, without, excluding, minus, disregarding, omitting, aside from, not including, other than, apart from, leaving out
Most of the time, we can even substitute one of these words/phrases into a sentence without needing to change anything else. For example:
• Every student but Ryan enjoys basketball.
• Every student except Ryan enjoys basketball.
Make the swap
The following pairs of sentences show how we can state exceptions by first using but and then swapping it out for a similar word or phrase. Take note that the meaning of the sentence doesn’t change.
• All the animals but the tigers are sleeping.
• All the animals apart from the tigers are sleeping.
• I like all flavors of ice cream but mint.
• I like all flavors of ice cream other than mint.
• Every guard was loyal but one.
• Every guard was loyal, save one.
You can review all these alternatives in our word list here.
Change the sentence
It might be the case that the word but is just not the word we were looking for. In that case, we may need to take more drastic action and really change up a sentence. We might exchange but for a different word that alters the meaning of the sentence or even rewrite our sentences entirely.
Sometimes, we may want to frame our sentence in a way in which we don’t put two things in opposition or contrast, even if they are different. For example, we may just want to present two different options or state two different but equally important opinions.
Whatever our reasons, we have several different ways we could get but out of the sentence. The simplest way, which often won’t involve changing a sentence too much, is to swap out but for one of the other coordinating conjunctions. For example:
• I like dogs, but I don’t like cats. (Two opposing thoughts.)
• I like dogs, and I don’t like cats. (Two equal, different thoughts.)
• She might win big, but she might lose it all. (Two contrasting thoughts.)
• She might win big, or she might lose it all. (Two alternative outcomes.)
If we can’t use a different coordinating conjunction, we will often need to make more significant changes to our sentences in order to follow proper grammar. So, we might use a subordinating conjunction or split our clauses apart into separate sentences. For example:
• We wanted to go to the beach, but it rained all day.
• We didn’t go to the beach because it rained all day.
• Keith needed new shoes, but he couldn’t afford them.
• Keith needed new shoes. However, he couldn’t afford them.
Examples
Let’s look at different ways we can take but out of a sentence. You’ll notice that some of the sentences will change their grammar or even their meaning after but is replaced.
• Jason lives at Camp Crystal Lake, but he doesn’t work there.
• Jason lives at Camp Crystal Lake, and he doesn’t work there.
• She wants a new pony, but only if she can name it Pinkie Pie.
• She wants a new pony under the condition that she can name it Pinkie Pie.
• I didn’t practice much, but I won the game anyway.
• Despite the fact that I didn’t practice much, I won the game anyway.
Write a better sentence with Grammar Coach™
Need synonyms for overused words? The Thesaurus.com Grammar Coach™ platform makes writing papers, essays, emails, and a whole lot more a whole lot easier. This writing tool uses machine-learning technology uniquely designed to catch grammar as well as spelling errors. Its Synonym Swap will find the best nouns, adjectives, and more to help say what you really mean, guiding you toward clearer, stronger, writing.
As you write your latest assignment and want to begin the next sentence with “but,” your teacher’s voice enters your head. You start trying to think of another way to write what you want to say and wonder, “How do you avoid starting a sentence with ‘but’?”
The simplest way to avoid using “but” at the start of a sentence is to reword the sentence to eliminate the need for the word “but.” You can also replace “but” with an adverb word or phrase like “however,” “On the other hand,” or “though.” You can also combine two contrasting sentences into one compound sentence where “but” would be after a comma in the sentence rather than behind a period.
If you grew up learning English in the United States of America, your grade school teacher probably told you at one point that you should NEVER start a sentence with “but.” Keep reading to find out the different ways you can avoid using “but” at the beginning of a sentence or if you should avoid it at all.
Should You Start a Sentence With “But”?
First, is starting a sentence with “but” wrong? Although many Americans may remember their grade school teachers saying that you should never start a sentence with “but,” a sentence that begins with “but” is not wrong, and there is no rule that exists that says otherwise (source).
In most cases, whether or not you start a sentence with “but” is determined by how formal your writing style is and the preferences of the person receiving the assignment.
If you are writing a research paper for a school assignment or an article for a client, it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with their writing guidelines before you start the project.
You can usually use “but” to start a sentence when writing something informal like a personal blog, a post on a social media outlet, or an email.
Note: Be careful with business emails to ensure that your company doesn’t have a specific grammar policy.
Is It Grammatically Correct to Start a Sentence With “But”?
Since there is no grammatical rule stating that you cannot use conjunctions at the beginning of a sentence, it is not grammatically incorrect to start with “but” (source).
Still, suppose you are writing a scholarly journal entry, a scientific essay, a governmental document, or the like. In that case, you may want to avoid starting your sentences with “but” to keep the formality of the piece intact. Again, the issue is one of style more than grammatical accuracy.
With that said, even important documents like our United States Constitution have numerous sentences that start with “but” (source).
When you write “but” at the beginning of a sentence, it contrasts the sentence’s meaning before it. We do the same thing when we use the word “though,” an adverb, at the end of a sentence. In both cases, the writing is usually casual, which we might avoid for more formal business writing.
Is Starting a Sentence With “but” Bad?
Starting a sentence with “but” is certainly not bad. Contrary to popular belief, using “but” at the beginning of a sentence might actually be helpful when writing in a certain style or trying to avoid run-on sentences.
In our early grade school lessons, many of us learned that starting a sentence with a conjunction was taboo and should never be done under any circumstances.
There are no clear reasons why teachers created this non-existent rule. The most common consensus is that teachers wanted their students to avoid writing how they spoke and explore the different ways of writing complex sentences.
Be that as it may, there is simply no foundational backing for this rule, and the answer to why teachers taught students this way is shrouded in speculation (source).
How Do You Avoid Beginning a Sentence With “But”?
As I mentioned before, if you are writing a more formal piece that requires you to find clever ways to avoid using “but” at the start of a sentence, there are a few different ways you can do it.
Reword the Sentence to Eliminate the Use of “but”
If you don’t want to use “but” at the beginning of a sentence, perhaps you can eliminate the word from the sentence altogether. Changing the focus of the second sentence so that it does not directly contrast the sentence before it can help you bypass the use of the word.
Take a look at the following example:
Taking a picture of the sunrise is something my father does a lot. But, for me, waking up early enough to get a picture of my own is a challenge.
If you were only having a casual conversation with someone, this might be how you would make this statement. However, if you were trying to avoid using “but” at the beginning of the sentence, you could rephrase the second sentence to remove “but” completely.
Taking a picture of the sunrise is something my father does a lot. It is just too bad that waking up early enough to get a picture of my own is such a challenge.
The message is the same in both examples, even though we rephrased it.
Use Adverbs to Replace the “but” at the Beginning of the Sentence
If rephrasing your sentence won’t work, you can avoid using “but” at the beginning of a sentence by switching the conjunction with an adverb word or phrase like “however,” “on the other hand,” or “though.”
For example, instead of writing a sentence like this:
My wife and I were thinking about trying to have another baby soon. But then again, my wife says the kid we already have is a handful, so we’ll wait.
You could replace the “but” in the sentence with an adverb to get this:
My wife and I were thinking about having another baby soon. However, my wife says the kid we already have is a handful, so we’ll wait.
Combine Two Contrasting Sentences Into a Compound Sentence
If you write two contrasting sentences and want to avoid using “but” at the beginning of your second sentence, you could always combine the two sentences to form a compound sentence.
Coordinating conjunctions like “but,” “and,” “or,” and “so” are words designed specifically to help you form a compound sentence and are one of the easiest ways to avoid starting your sentence with “but.”
Take a look at this example sentence:
We were all excited about getting on the rollercoaster ride. But my little brother was too afraid to get on when we got there.
Again, if you were saying this to someone, this would probably be the natural way it would come out.
Now see the change in the revised sentence:
We were all excited about getting on the rollercoaster ride, but my little brother was too afraid to get on when we got there.
The two sentences still convey the same message, but it flows more smoothly and is a little more formal in its delivery than two separate sentences. The revised sentence is also barely different from the original, making this method of avoiding sentences that start with “but” one of the best (source).
What Is the Word “but” and How Do We Use It?
You have used “but” in a sentence at least once, no matter your English proficiency level. For example, if you have ever said to someone, “I want to, but I can’t” or “I’m on the way, but I’ll be a little late,” you have successfully used “but” in a sentence.
It is usually one of the first sentence structures you learn to make and one of the first words your instructor will teach you to avoid. We have all used it, but using the word and understanding it are two completely different things.
To understand how to use “but,” we have to break it down, starting with what type of word it is. It can be a preposition, adverb, and, in rare cases, even a noun or pronoun. However, especially for our purposes, it is usually a conjunction.
What Is a Conjunction?
The word “but” is a type of conjunction. A conjunction is a type of word that we can use to hold together two words, two independent or dependent sentences, or two phrases or clauses.
According to The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, there are three types of conjunctions: coordinating conjunctions, subordinating conjunctions, and correlative conjunctions.
What Is a Coordinating Conjunction?
Coordinating conjunctions usually work to bring two independent words, sentences, or phrases together into one sentence. The seven coordinating conjunctions are “or,” “so,” “for,” “nor,” “and,” “but,” and “yet.”
By coordinating two seemingly independent phrases to work together, coordinating conjunctions can smooth out choppy sentences for an easier read.
Here are some examples demonstrating how coordinating conjunctions can smooth out a sentence.
Example 1:
“I was thinking about not coming. I’m here.”
If you look at this example’s structure, the short, choppy sentences read with an edgy tone. To smooth it out, you could add a coordinating conjunction.
“I was thinking about not coming, yet I’m here.”
The tone is a little less brash in this sentence, and the sentence is a smoother read.
Example 2:
“I love to cook. I make dinner every night.”
In this example, the speaker sounds unnatural and, dare I say, a bit robotic as they describe their hobby.
“I love to cook, so I make dinner every night.”
By adding a coordinating conjunction, this sentence becomes more natural and flows more evenly.
What Is a Subordinating Conjunction?
We can use subordinating conjunctions to connect an independent sentence with a dependent one. There are many subordinating conjunctions, including “although,” “because,” “though,” “before,” “while,” “if,” and “when.”
Here are some examples of sentences with subordinating conjunctions.
Example 1:
“I went straight to the principal’s office when we got back to school.”
In this example, “we got back to school” is a dependent sentence. When you add the subordinating conjunction, “when,” it connects going to the principal’s office with getting back to the school, making the sentence feel complete.
Example 2:
“You will always succeed if you try everything you can.”
In this example, “you try everything you can” is not a stand-alone sentence. Using the subordinating conjunction “if” lets you connect this dependent sentence with the stand-alone phrase.
What Is a Correlative Conjunction?
Correlative conjunctions are sibling conjunction words or phrases that always come in pairs. Some correlative conjunction pairs, among others, are “either/or,” “as/as,” “not only/but also,” “both/and,” and “rather/than.”
They can either appear close together or far apart, but one cannot function properly in the sentence without the other.
Here are some examples of sentences with correlative conjunction words and phrases.
Example 1:
“As smart as Adam was, he could not score 100% on the exam.”
“As” and “as” work together in this sentence to form correlative conjunctions. Without one, the other doesn’t work.
Example 2:
“Either you stop jumping on the couch, or I’m turning off the TV.”
We positioned “either” and “or” far apart in this example, but they work closely together to establish the sentence’s meaning.
The Word “but” Is a Contrasting Coordinating Conjunction
The word “but” is a contrasting coordinating conjunction, meaning that it can help you combine contrasting thoughts, words, or phrases into one sentence (source).
Using one of the earlier examples, let’s look at how “but” helps combine contrasting sentences.
Example 1:
“I am on my way to a party. I am late for a party.”
It might sound strange if you were talking to someone and said these two sentences back to back. Using “but” to join the contrasting sentences would convey the message more naturally.
“I am on my way to a party, but I am running a little late.”
Example 2:
“I want to eat the second piece of the pie. I can’t eat the second piece of the pie.”
Just like with the first example, saying both sentences, although technically correct, sound strange to native English speakers. Using a contrasting coordinating conjunction can smooth the flow to a more natural tone. This article was written for strategiesforparents.com.
“I want to eat a second piece of pie, but I can’t.”
Final Thoughts
Starting a sentence with “but” is not grammatically wrong, but you should limit the term’s usage if you are writing in a more formal setting. Whether the rule we all learned as children is real or fake, teachers, professors, and potential clients all have their style preferences that you may need to know and follow to succeed.
If you must avoid using “but” at the beginning of a sentence, rewording or combining your sentences are always good places to start.
-
#1
Hello
Could you please help me in this exercise?
1) The word «but» in «But not even he has discussed the aspect of the film I found the most intriguing» could be replaced, with no meaning change, by:
a) although
b) nevertheless
c) therefore
d) whatever
e) despite
I am pretty sure it is either (a) or (b). To me, both are correct, since «although» and «nevertheless» are synonyms, aren’t they? Nevertheless, the correct answer, according to my teacher, is «nevertheless».
Thank you.
Last edited: Nov 6, 2014
-
#2
‘Nevertheless’ is the only conjunction that works here. Note also that it is not good practice to begin a sentence with ‘but’, so the original sentence is quite awkward.
‘Although’ is a subordinating conjunction, so can’t be used on its own without a second sentence as the main clause.
If we wanted to connect the two sentences:
He didn’t have enough time to finish his project as he had intended. It was by far the best in the class.
We could write:
He didn’t have enough time to finish his project as he had intended, but it was by far the best in the class.
He didn’t have enough time to finish his project as he had intended. Nevertheless, it was by far the best in the class.
Although he didn’t have enough time to finish his project as he had intended, it was by far the best in the class.
-
#3
Actually, Condomine, none of the five sounds right to me. I think this wouldn’t, strictly speaking, be the beginning of the sentence (as the capital ‘B’ in ‘But’ indicates), or perhaps something follows «…the most intriguing.»? You’re right, in writing we wouldn’t begin a sentence with ‘Although’, although it could be used before «…not even» in a clause, and could in speech introduce an afterthought. I’d prefer to begin the sentence, «
However
, not even he…» And I dont think ‘however’ and ‘nevertheless’ are (always) synonyms. Hope this helps.
I’ve just read icecreamsoldier’s post, and I agree; of the five choices, «Nevertheless» is possible to start a sentence. But it looks awkward without what went before.
Last edited: Nov 6, 2014
-
#4
It has to be «nevertheless», but only by a process of elimination; I agree with the others that it’s still an awkward sentence.
As IceCreamSoldier says, the trouble with «although» is that one expects something else to follow the language given in the exercise: «Although not even he has discussed the aspect of the film I found most intriguing, he did say that . . . » (or whatever).
-
#5
Hullo.
A rather poor fill-in-the-blanks exercise. Two more «pearls»:
1. » with no meaning change.»
2. «… has discussed the aspect of the film I found the most intriguing.» The aspect or the film?
GS
-
#6
Thank you all!
The word but is one of the seven coordinating conjunctions in English (the others are and, or, so, for, nor, and yet). It’s used to connect two statements that contrast or contradict each other in some way.
For example, learning English is difficult but fun! But getting into the specifics of such commonly used words can be tricky. This article will answer some questions you may have about how to use but.
When do I use a comma?
According to standard grammar, a comma is used before a coordinating conjunction to connect two independent clauses.
An independent clause is a clause with both a subject and a verb so that it can stand on its own. If the second clause does not contain a subject, then no comma is needed.
- He liked the meal, but not the dessert. (No comma)
- He liked the meal, but didn’t like the dessert. (No comma)
- He liked the meal, but he didn’t like the dessert. (Here, the subject is listed both times, making both clauses independent. A comma is appropriate.)
However, this is a rule that not many native speakers are aware of. Most people will place commas according to where they would naturally make a small pause while speaking.
When do I use “but rather”?
While but can be used to contrast two statements, it can also be used in the construction “not this but that.” For example:
- It wasn’t a drought but more of a dry spell.
This sentence is saying that whatever happened wasn’t a drought. Instead, it was a dry spell. To convey this idea, we use the conjunction but. We could also replace this with the phrase but rather.
- It wasn’t a drought but rather more of a dry spell.
The phrase but rather could also just be a combination of but and rather in their separate usages.
- You’d think he would break up with her face-to-face. But rather than doing that, he decided to do it over the phone. (Here, but is used as a contrast to the previous sentence, not in combination with rather.)
What’s the difference between “but” or “yet”?
But and yet are conjunctions with very similar meanings, and usually, when you can use the word yet, you can replace it with but.
The difference is that yet means something more like “despite that” or “regardless of that.” Grammatically speaking, it has a concessive meaning.
- He’s given her so many red flags, yet she still wants to be with him. (In other words, He’s given her so many red flags. Despite that, she still wants to be with him.)
- I attended every lecture in the class, and yet I still don’t understand anything. (It’s possible to use yet with and, making it more of an adverb than a conjunction.)
- Apparently, she keeps a calendar, yet she always forgets about the plans she makes.
In all these examples, you could probably replace yet with but and still have it make sense.
- He’s given her so many red flags, but she still wants to be with him.
- I attended every lecture in the class, but I still don’t understand anything.
- Apparently, she keeps a calendar, but she always forgets about the plans she makes.
The difference is that but only creates a simple contrast. If you really want to say, “This is true, but none of it really matters because…”, then yet is a much better way to convey that nuance.
When can I use “but” at the beginning of a sentence?
While you may have formally been taught that a sentence can’t begin with a conjunction, the reality is that you can begin any sentence with a conjunction. The two following examples basically mean the same thing:
- I’ll come with you and keep you company if you want. But I’m not going to enjoy it.
- I’ll come with you and keep you company if you want, but I’m not going to enjoy it.
Why make a clause with a conjunction its own separate sentence? It depends on how you like to break up your sentences.
Periods usually convey more of a break between ideas than commas do. You might also want to avoid run-on sentences that use too many commas.
When do I use “but also”?
The phrase but also is similar to but rather, but instead of meaning “not this but that,” it means “not just this but also that.” It’s used to add even more additional information than might be expected.
- They not only spilled beer all over the floor but also broke one of the lamps.
- You’re not just a mother but also a friend.
When using this phrase, be sure to create parallel constructions if you want to be grammatically correct. This means linking phrases of the same kind together.
In the following sentence, the placement of the word only makes it so that it connects nouns together, therefore making it a parallel construction.
- He doesn’t know only Spanish but also Portuguese and Italian.
This next sentence is incorrect because it connects a verb (“to know”) with nouns (“Portuguese and Italian”).
- He not only knows Spanish but also Portuguese and Italian.
When I can I use “but not limited to”?
You can use the phrase including but not limited to when you want to list some items in a category, but you also want to indicate there are many more besides that.
It basically means the same thing as the word including by itself but emphasizes the high amount of things in a given category. Usually, this phrase is found in legal contexts, maybe because the wording is more precise.
- The job involves many tasks, including but not limited to serving customers, checking inventory, cleaning the workspace, and taking phone calls.
- Natural language processing has a wide variety of applications, including but not limited to chatbots, language translation, sentiment analysis, and spell check.
- The book covers many topics, including but not limited to the Civil War, the Reconstruction Era, and Jim Crow laws.
What’s the difference between “but” and “although”?
This question is tricky because although can have two different usages.
The first is to mean “despite the fact that” or “even though,” which is like saying, “What I’m about to say doesn’t really matter.” In this case, the clause that although introduces will usually come before the main clause.
- Although it was scorching outside, we still decided risk sunburns and go hiking.
- Although I had a test the next morning, I decided to go out with my friends and ended up coming home late.
Then there is the second usage of although, which is to mean the same thing as but, except it tends to indicate more of an afterthought rather than a firm contrast.
This is usually when although comes after the main clause, which is how you’ll be able to tell the difference between the two meanings.
- I really didn’t want to go to the show, although it did end up being somewhat interesting. (This can be like saying, Now that I think about it, it was sort of interesting.)
- Mark’s thinking about transferring schools, although I’m not sure why. I thought he liked it here. (Using although instead of but indicates that the main topic is about Mark, not what the speaker thinks.)
If you want to create a contrast or transition between what you were just talking about and a topic that’s just as important, it might be better to use but instead of although, such as in this sentence:
- Mental illness can be difficult or awkward to talk about, but there are many ways we can be supportive.
The main point is not that mental illness is a difficult subject. Instead, the speaker is trying to transition into a topic they want to talk about. This makes but a much more appropriate choice than although.
What’s the difference between “but” and “except”?
Except (that) is another conjunction that means something similar to but, except it indicates more of an exception than a contrast (I just used it now!).
Maybe you want to state something that’s true except for one detail. In that case, except will help you convey that better than but.
- He and I are on good terms, except he still needs to pay me the money he owes.
- We have everything we need for dinner, except that I still need to buy oil.
- A: Everything’s fine, except…
B: Except what?
Don’t confuse this with the phrase except for, which is used as a preposition, not a conjunction. You can only follow it with noun phrases.
- Everyone submitted their entries on time except for him.
- He and I are on good terms, except for the fact that he still needs to pay me the money he owes.
Practice
Time for some practice! The following sentences each have an error in them. Try to spot them and see if you can correct them.
- It’s not the concerts themselves rather the social experience that I enjoy.
- I can teach you how to play many genres, including and not limited to jazz, rock, country, and the blues.
- He drives not only poorly but also can’t park properly.
- A lot of times, we follow rules, but don’t really understand why.
- He spent hours and hours more on the painting, but it still looks bad. (What could you replace but with to show that his work was useless?)
- Overall, the movie was great, but the ending could have been better. (What could you replace but with to indicate more of an exception?)
- Overall, the movie was great, but the ending could have been better. (What could you replace but with to indicate more of an afterthought?)
Answers:
- It’s not the concerts themselves but rather the social experience that I enjoy. (You need the whole phrase but rather, not just rather.)
- I can teach you how to play many genres, including but not limited to jazz, rock, country, and the blues. (“Including and not limited to” is not a standard expression.)
- He not only drives poorly but also can’t park properly. OR Not only does he drive poorly, but he also can’t park properly. (Either of these makes the sentence a parallel construction.)
- A lot of times, we follow the rules but don’t really understand why. (The second clause is not an independent clause, so you don’t need to use a comma.)
- He spent hours and hours more on the painting, yet it still looks bad. (Now, you can tell more how useless his effort was.)
- Overall, the movie was great, except the ending could have been better. (Now, it’s specified that the ending was really the one thing wrong with the movie.)
- Overall, the movie was great, although the ending could have been better. (Now, it sounds more like the speaker doesn’t care as much about the ending.)