‘In spite’ and ‘despite’ are one of the most often confused pair of words in the English language. This is mostly because both the terms have similar meanings. Go through these following points to understand the differences between the two terms.
- Table Summarising the Difference between In Spite and Despite
- The Difference between In Spite and Despite – Meanings
- Usage and Examples of In Spite and Despite
Table Summarising the Difference between In Spite and Despite
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In spite |
Despite |
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| Meaning | ‘In spite’ means regardless of the factor/factors. | The word ‘despite’ means regardless. |
| Usage | It is used as a preposition. It is always accompanied by the preposition ‘of’ when used in a sentence. | It is used as a preposition. No preposition is used with ‘despite’ when a sentence is formed. |
| Example | In spite of being poor, the man was happy. | Despite all hardships, the girl managed to score good grades. |
The Difference between In Spite and Despite – Meanings
Students may often wonder why using ‘in spite’ and ‘despite’ interchangeably can be incorrect if both words have similar meanings. Take a look at the examples given below to have a clear idea.
Usage and Examples of In Spite and Despite
Any idea how both the terms are used or what part of speech can come after the two prepositions? Here are a few examples to help you understand.
The below examples show how sentences are formed with a determiner and a noun, a gerund or a pronoun following the two prepositions.
- We continued to play football in spite of the rain.
- Despite the warning, the boys went further into the sea.
- In spite of what happened to her, she managed to stay strong for the sake of her siblings.
- Despite facing a shortage of money, Tobey helped the man in need.
- I forgot to turn off the lights in spite of my mom’s constant reminders.
- Despite how it started, everything turned out to be fine.
- Sheena went to school in spite of her doctor’s advice to stay home.
To sum up, the words ‘in spite’ and ‘despite’ can be used in place of one another and are synonymous too. Just be sure to use it the right way so that they are grammatically correct.
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