‘Every child in the school performed in the annual function.’ Now, one can wonder whether using ‘every’ in this sentence is correct or not. One might think that the sentence should be ‘Each child in the school performed in the annual function.’ Feeling confused, right? Which of these two sentences is the correct one? If there was any list that consisted of frequently confused words, then the terms ‘each’ and ‘every’ would definitely be in it.
The English Language has confused its users time and again. Just like ‘each’ and ‘every’, there are other terms that confuse students. So how would a student understand when to use the terms ‘each’ and ‘every’? Are there any rules that help students understand where to aptly use ‘every’ and ‘each’? The following points will clear all the doubts that students have regarding the use of these terms.
- Table Summarising the Difference between Each and Every
- The Difference between Each and Every – Meanings
- Examples of Each and Ever
- Each and Every – Conclusion
Table Summarising the Difference between Each and Every
| Meaning | The term each is used to refer to a person or object individually in a group of two or more. | The term every is used to denote all the members of a group of people/ objects. |
| Usage | It is used as an Adverb, Determiner and a Pronoun. | It is used as a Determiner. |
| Example | I wore bangles on each hand. | Every bangle jingled as I moved my arm. |
So as you can see from the above chart that the terms ‘each’ and ‘every’ don’t have the same meaning, and they can’t always be used interchangeably though both these terms are used to denote quantities. The following detailed explanation will help students understand these terms better.
The Difference between Each and Every – Meanings
The simple way by which one can remember when to use the terms ‘each’ and ‘every’ is with the amount of quantity they denote. The term ‘each’ is used to denote one among two or more people or objects, for example, ‘Each one of you is unique in your way.’ Basically, the term ‘each’ emphasises every single object or person. When the term ‘each’ is used as an adverb, it means considering an object/person separately in a group, for example, ‘We will divide the 1000 rupees bill and will pay 100 rupees each’, but when you use the term ‘every’, it is used to refer to every single person/object present in a group/collection. The term ‘every’ is generally used with a singular noun. ‘Every’ is also used with time to refer/denote how often/frequently something happens. The examples discussed below will help students understand better how and when they can use these terms.
Examples of Each and Every
The examples below will be beneficial for students to understand ‘each’ and ‘every’:
Each – Each of us contributed 50 rupees to the Flood Relief Fund. (determiner)
Every – Every child has the right to receive basic education in our country till they are fourteen years of age. (determiner)
The examples will prove to be helpful for the students to understand that ‘each’ and ‘every’ aren’t synonymous and can’t always be used interchangeably.
Each and Every – Conclusion
Wrapping up, the terms ‘each’ and ‘every’ can be used interchangeably at times, but aren’t synonymous. This article points out that though it might appear that there’s no difference between ‘each’ and ‘every’, students still have to be careful while using them. BYJU’S offers various articles on many such ‘Differences Between Two Words’ that students often get confused with.
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