Around versus round
The difference between around and round
The round ball spun around
around
Around means:
- On all sides
The trees around the field are deciduous.
- In a circle (spin around, belt around her waist)
The email went around the world.
He spun around.
She tied the belt around her waist.
- Approximately
She spent around $500
He woke around dawn.
round
Round can be used as:
- An adjective
He has a round face
- A verb
The car rounded the bend.
- A noun
She completed the round of golf.
Some people use round instead of around in many instances, especially in spoken language. For instance:
The moon goes around the sun.
The moon goes round the sun.
The belt around her waist is gold.
The belt round her waist is gold.
The reverse is not true: you cannot use around instead of round. For instance, you would not say: She has an around face.
Learn more
Learn more about other commonly confused words with my online Business Writing course.
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