Compared to or compared with?

Which should I use and when?

Below is a transcript of the video.

Hey everyone and welcome to my channel. I’m Dr Clare Lynch of Doris and Bertie and I’m on a mission to help you become a better, more confident writer. Today on the channel, I’m answering a question many people ask me: what’s the difference between compare or compared to and compare or compared with?

Now, there is a difference, but the first thing to say is that many people use compare to and compare with interchangeably.  Are they wrong? Maybe? Maybe not! We always have to bear in mind that English is a living, breathing language and it is constantly changing. If it weren’t, I’d still be speaking the language of Beowulf - which if you’re interested sounds a bit like this:

Hwæt! We Gardena    in geardagum, 

Þeod-cyninga    þrym gefrunon, 

hu ða æþelingas   ellen fremedon.

Anyway, back to the 21st century and the difference that not everyone....but careful writers — and I’ll admit, that includes me — tend to observe between compared to and compared with. 

THE DIFFERENCE

So the difference is this:  we use compare to when we’re emphasising the similarities between two things, usually of a different class. 

And compare with when we want to emphasise the differences between two things of the same class.

Now that sounds a bit complicated. So let’s break that down a bit with some examples.

EXAMPLE 1

So the most famous example of compare to is probably from the well-known Shakespeare sonnet that begins:

“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”

In other words…

“Shall I try to suggest some ways you are similar to a summer’s day.”

Now, although Shakespeare ultimately does go on to say that the target of his affections isn’t like a summer’s day…

“... thou art more lovely and more temperate…” 

he’s basically setting out his intention at the start of the sonnet - to explore similarities between two different things…

his love and a summer’s day. 

EXAMPLE 2

Now compare with has a slightly different nuance. 

With this one, we’re making more of a contrast.

So, in an annual report for example we might say: Revenues rose 18% compared with 16% in the previous year.

So remember in the Shakespeare example compared to was talking about the similarities between different classes of things: 

Summer and a woman. Or was it a man in this sonnet? Hmm. I'd need to check. I think it was a woman.

But anyway, a human being and summer.

With the example from the annual report, we’re comparing two things from the same class…

Annual revenues

… but we’re emphasising the differences in performance.

EXAMPLE 3

Here’s another example — and for this one, I’m going to need a little bit of help from my husband, Dave, who’s standing right off camera. Dave, would you care to join me?

DAVE: Hey!

Now, if I compare Dave to George Clooney, I’m emphasising the similarities. So maybe I’m thinking of…

his natural charisma, the distinguished speckles of grey in his beard.

Or that sexy little twinkle in his eye...

I’m basically saying George and Dave are two things in different classes - husband and Hollywood star. But despite that, they’re similar.

Now if I compare Dave with George Clooney…the comparison is much less flattering.

They are two things in the same class - they’re both specimens of manhood…

But I’m emphasising the differences.

So maybe it’s Dave’s non-designer wardrobe…

The paucity of his bank balance…

Or his lack of advocacy for the refugees from Darfur…

DAVE: there is one thing we have in common. We’ve both got fantastic, smart, beautiful wives.


So that’s the difference between compared to and compared with.

For more proofreading advice, enrol in the full online course, Proofread Like a Pro, available at the Doris and Bertie Writing School.

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