Whereas is used to compare two facts that are different from each other: Tom likes the sea, whereas his wife prefers the mountains. It sounds formal and is useful for comparisons in essays and in describing graphs. In conversation, people more often say “while” or “but”.
How would you use whereas?
Write a sentence — we'll check that the word fits the meaning and suggest what to fix.
The check is taking longer than usual. Your feedback will appear here automatically.
clause, whereas + clause; Whereas + clause, + clause
- Older people tend to read printed newspapers, whereas younger people get most of their news online.
- Sales of coffee rose steadily over the year, whereas tea sales remained almost unchanged.
- My sister is an early bird, whereas I can't function before nine.
What changed
First versionMy brother loves football. Whereas I prefer chess.
RevisionMy brother loves football, whereas I prefer chess.
It may seem that the second half of a comparison can stand on its own after a full stop. “Whereas” does not work like that: it is a conjunction, and it attaches the second part to the first within one sentence. So the full stop is replaced with a comma.
“While”, when it compares, means almost the same as “whereas” and sounds simpler: I drink tea, while my husband drinks only coffee. But “while” can also mean “during the time that”, and “whereas” is used only to contrast. Don't confuse it with “although” either: “whereas” compares two different sides, and “although” introduces an unexpected result.
Your turn
In the north, summers are short and cool, ___ the south stays hot from May to September.
Show the answer
whereas — The north and the south are compared in one sentence, and the two parts are separated only by a comma. They are joined by the conjunction “whereas”. “Meanwhile” is not a conjunction and needs a full stop or a semicolon before it.
Compare two cities you have lived in or visited. In one sentence with whereas, name one difference between them.
In Kazan I could walk almost everywhere, whereas in Moscow I spent two hours a day on the metro.
Learn to use new words without mistakes
Write phrases with the words you are learning. LetsWords shows mistakes in usage and grammar, suggests corrections and explains them, and review helps the words stick.