Compare to vs compare with can be confusing because both expressions are correct, yet they traditionally emphasize different kinds of comparison. Compare to usually highlights a likeness or analogy, while compare with traditionally focuses on examining similarities and differences.
- Compare to: Use it when you are mainly likening one person or thing to another.
- Compare with: Use it when you are examining two or more things side by side.
The distinction is useful, but compare to vs compare with is not an absolute rule in modern English. Both forms, especially compared to and compared with, appear in everyday and formal writing. Understanding the traditional difference helps you choose the most appropriate form for your context.
Compare To vs Compare With: The Quick Difference
Here is the traditional distinction:
| Expression | Traditional emphasis | Typical use |
| compare to | Likeness or analogy | Showing that one thing resembles another |
| compare with | Similarities and differences | Examining two things side by side |
| compared to | Comparison with another thing | Common in everyday and descriptive English |
| compared with | Comparison with another thing | Common in analytical and evaluative contexts |
A simple way to remember the traditional guideline is:
- Use compare to when you are mainly saying that one thing is like another.
- Use compare with when you are examining two things to see how they are alike or different.
- When both forms sound natural, consider the context and any style guide you need to follow.
The MLA Style Center, for example, recommends compare with when evaluating similarities and differences and compare to when making an analogy or highlighting a similarity.
However, real-world English is less rigid. Cambridge records compared to/with as a construction used to describe how one person or thing differs from another.
What Does “Compare To” Mean?
Compare to traditionally means to liken one person or thing to another. The purpose is often to highlight a shared quality, resemblance, or analogy rather than conduct a detailed examination.
For example:
The writer compared the city to a sleeping giant.
The writer is not necessarily examining every similarity and difference between a city and a giant. Instead, the comparison creates an image and emphasizes a particular resemblance.
The construction is especially natural when the two things are different in kind but share a noticeable quality.
Compare To for Likeness and Analogy
Consider these examples:
- The dancer was compared to a swan.
- The child compared the clouds to giant ships.
- The novel compares memory to a fragile photograph.
- Her determination was compared to that of a marathon runner.
In each sentence, the speaker or writer draws attention to a particular similarity.
The things being compared do not need to be identical or belong to the same category. A dancer and a swan are different kinds of things, but a writer might compare them because of their graceful movement.
This is why compare to often works well with figurative language. It can create an analogy without suggesting that the two subjects are literally equivalent.
A familiar literary example illustrates this traditional use: Shakespeare asks whether he should compare someone to a summer’s day. The comparison is figurative, not a literal evaluation of a person and a day. The Chicago Manual of Style uses this kind of example when explaining the traditional distinction.
Examples of “Compare To”
Here are several natural examples.
Everyday comparison
People often compare her singing voice to that of a professional performer.
The emphasis is on a perceived similarity in voice or ability.
Figurative comparison
The author compares the ocean to an endless mirror.
The ocean is not literally a mirror. The comparison highlights a visual similarity.
Descriptive comparison
The new building has been compared to a glass sculpture.
The sentence emphasizes the building’s appearance rather than presenting a systematic architectural evaluation.
Personal comparison
Don’t compare me to my older brother.
Here, to naturally expresses the idea of being likened to another person.
The key point is that compare to does not mean the two things must be completely different. It simply tends to emphasize likeness, analogy, or resemblance.
What Does “Compare With” Mean?
Compare with traditionally refers to putting two or more things side by side and examining how they relate. The comparison may reveal both similarities and differences.
For example:
The researcher compared the new results with the earlier results.
The researcher is not simply saying that the new results resemble the old ones. The purpose is to examine what has changed, what remains similar, and what differs.
This makes compare with especially useful in analytical writing, academic work, reports, and other contexts where systematic comparison matters.
Compare With for Direct Examination
Suppose a teacher asks students to examine two poems. You might write:
The essay compares the two poems with each other.
The writer may discuss their themes, structure, language, imagery, and differences. The comparison is an examination rather than a single analogy.
The same pattern works in practical situations:
- Compare this year’s sales figures with last year’s figures.
- The report compares the two treatment methods.
- Researchers compared the results with data from an earlier study.
- The editor compared the revised version with the original.
In each case, the subjects can be examined according to several characteristics.
Compare with is also common when asking how something measures up against another thing:
How does this model compare with the previous version?
That question invites an evaluation of the two models rather than a simple statement that they resemble each other.
Compare With for Similarities and Differences
One common mistake is to assume that compare with means “differences only.” It does not.
A comparison can identify similarities, differences, or both.
For example:
The report compares the two cities with respect to population, transportation, and housing.
The report could discover that the cities have similar transportation systems but very different housing costs. Both observations belong to the comparison.
This matches the traditional guidance described by the MLA Style Center and Chicago Manual of Style. Compare with is associated with examining similarities and differences, while compare to is associated more strongly with likeness or analogy.
So, in an analytical sentence such as:
The study compares the two groups with respect to age and income.
With makes sense because the writer is examining the groups according to specific criteria.
Compare To vs Compare With in Modern English
The traditional distinction is useful, but modern English does not always maintain it strictly.
Cambridge’s dictionary examples demonstrate this overlap. It gives compared to/with as a construction used when describing how one person or thing differs from another. It also provides examples of compare being used both to examine differences or similarities and to describe one thing as similar to another.
Chicago makes a similar point. Its current guidance explains the traditional distinction but notes that actual usage does not always separate to and with so precisely. Its 18th-edition guidance also says the distinction appears to be fading.
That means you should not treat this as an unbreakable rule:
Wrong: “Compare to is only for similarities, and compare with is only for differences.”
A more accurate understanding is:
Traditional guideline: compare to tends to emphasize likeness or analogy, while compare with tends to emphasize examination of similarities and differences.
This distinction can still help you choose clear wording. However, naturally occurring modern English sometimes uses either form, especially in compared to/with constructions.
For instance:
The new office is much larger compared to the old one.
and
The new office is much larger compared with the old one.
Both constructions occur in standard English. Cambridge explicitly documents this type of variation.
The choice therefore depends on more than a memorized preposition rule. Consider what you are trying to communicate, how formal the context is, and whether a particular publication or institution follows a specific style.
Compare To vs Compare With: Side-by-Side Examples
The following examples show the traditional difference:
| Purpose | Example | Why it works |
| Analogy or likeness | The poet compared the moon to a silver coin. | The comparison highlights resemblance. |
| Direct evaluation | The researcher compared the two samples with each other. | The subjects are examined side by side. |
| Similarities and differences | The report compared the two products with respect to price and performance. | Several characteristics are being evaluated. |
| Modern overlap | The new model is faster compared to the old one. | Compared to is common in ordinary modern comparisons. |
| Modern overlap | The new model is faster compared with the old one. | Compared with is also standard in this context. |
The first three examples illustrate the traditional distinction. The final two show why you cannot always apply that distinction mechanically.
What Do Style Guides Say?
Different authorities provide useful perspectives on this issue. Their guidance helps separate traditional editorial advice from broader modern usage.
MLA Guidance
The MLA Style Center draws a clear traditional distinction. It recommends compare with when the writer wants to evaluate similarities and differences. It recommends compare to when the writer is making an analogy or highlighting a point of similarity.
This distinction can be useful in analytical writing because it helps clarify the purpose of the comparison.
MLA’s guidance also traces this distinction to Claire Kehrwald Cook’s Line by Line: How to Edit Your Own Writing. The MLA article identifies Cook’s discussion as its source for the distinction.
Chicago Guidance
The Chicago Manual of Style gives a similar traditional explanation. Its current guidance describes compare with as appropriate for investigating similarities and differences and compare to as a way of noting that one thing is like another, especially in figurative or poetic comparisons.
Importantly, Chicago also recognizes that actual usage does not always preserve this distinction. Its current guidance says the to/with distinction appears to be fading.
For writers, this creates an important distinction of its own: a style guide can recommend a particular choice for careful editing even when everyday usage is more flexible.
Dictionary Usage
Dictionary evidence also shows why a rigid rule can cause problems.
Cambridge defines compare in terms that cover both examining similarities and differences and considering one thing similar to another. Its examples include both compared to and compared with in ordinary comparison contexts.
This reflects an important difference between style guidance and dictionary evidence. A style guide may recommend a particular choice to create consistency or preserve a traditional distinction. A dictionary, meanwhile, records how the language is used.
Both types of evidence can be useful. The key is not to confuse a style preference with a universal grammatical prohibition.
Common Mistakes With “Compare To” and “Compare With”
Treating the Rule as Absolute
The biggest mistake is memorizing to = similarity and with = difference as though no exceptions exist.
The traditional distinction is more nuanced. Compare with can involve similarities, while compare to can occur in ordinary comparisons. Modern usage also permits overlap.
Assuming “Compare With” Means Differences Only
This is incorrect.
If you compare two products with each other, you might discuss their shared features as well as their differences. The phrase does not prevent you from discussing similarities.
Assuming “Compare To” Is Only for Poetry
Although compare to is common in figurative or analogical comparisons, modern English also uses it in ordinary contexts.
For example:
This year’s costs are high compared to last year’s.
This is a straightforward comparison, not a poetic metaphor. Cambridge documents this type of usage.
Correcting a Natural Sentence Unnecessarily
Sometimes writers change compared to to compared with, or vice versa, simply because they have been taught a strict rule.
That can create unnecessary editing. If both forms are accepted in the context, focus on meaning, consistency, and the style requirements of the document rather than changing a sentence mechanically.
How to Choose Between “Compare To” and “Compare With”
You can usually make the choice by asking a few simple questions.
Ask What You Are Trying to Show
If you are likening one thing to another, especially to emphasize a particular resemblance, compare to is the traditional choice.
The coach compared the team’s discipline to that of a military unit.
If you are examining two subjects side by side, compare with is the traditional choice.
The researcher compared the team’s results with those from the previous season.
The difference is about the purpose and emphasis of the comparison, not simply whether similarities or differences appear in the sentence.
Consider the Context
In everyday English, either form may sound natural:
The new apartment is expensive compared to the old one.
The new apartment is expensive compared with the old one.
In academic or analytical writing, compare with can make the side-by-side evaluation especially clear:
The study compares the two groups with respect to age and education.
In descriptive or figurative writing, compare to often creates a natural analogy:
The author compares the river to a ribbon of silver.
These are tendencies, not absolute rules.
Follow the Relevant Style Guide
If you are writing for a university, publisher, journal, employer, or other organization, check its style requirements when the distinction matters.
A style guide may prefer the traditional distinction even though broader modern usage allows overlap. Following the required house style is more useful than trying to establish a universal rule.
For general writing without a specific style requirement, choose the form that best communicates your intended comparison. When both forms work naturally, consistency and clarity matter more than forcing an artificial distinction.
FAQs
Q1. Is “compare to” or “compare with” better for a direct comparison?
For a direct, side-by-side examination, compare with is the traditional choice. It works especially well when you are considering several similarities and differences.
Q2. Can I use “compare to” in formal writing?
Yes. Compare to is appropriate in formal writing when you are highlighting a likeness or analogy. It can also appear in straightforward comparisons because modern usage does not always maintain the traditional distinction strictly.
Q3. Does “compare with” imply that two things are different?
No. Compare with can involve both similarities and differences. The purpose is to examine the subjects and identify how they relate to each other.
Q4. Is “compared to” incorrect in academic writing?
No. Compared to is not inherently incorrect in academic writing. However, if you are systematically evaluating two subjects, compared with may better reflect the traditional distinction or the preference of a particular style guide.
Q5. Should I always change “compared to” to “compared with”?
No. Do not change it automatically. If compared to clearly expresses the intended meaning and fits the context, it may be appropriate. Check the relevant style guide if you are writing for a specific institution or publication.
Q6. What should I do when both “compare to” and “compare with” sound natural?
Consider what you want the reader to notice. Choose compare to when the emphasis is on likeness or analogy and compare with when the emphasis is on examination. If the distinction does not affect the meaning, follow the style requirements of your context and use the form that reads naturally.
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Conclusion
The traditional distinction between compare to and compare with can help you choose the clearest wording. Use compare to when you want to highlight a likeness or analogy. Use compare with when you are examining subjects side by side for similarities and differences.
Modern English, however, allows some overlap. If both forms fit naturally, consider your meaning, the level of formality, and any style guide you need to follow. The goal is clear communication, not applying the preposition rule mechanically.