Among Vs Amongst

Among Vs Amongst

Both Among and Amongst are prepositions.

The meaning of Among and Amongst is same but the frequency of their use is not same. Among is more common in modern writing.

When to use among and when to use amongst?

There is no situation where you must use the word “amongst” or “amongst”.

·        In British English both among and amongst are used, although the use of among is more common. In American English, only the use of among is seen.

·        Some grammar books state that it is more common to use amongst before a word starting with a vowel. E.g., Amongst other things, I have to finish cooking. Although still favoured by some, this is not supported by current usage trends.

·        If you are writing a medieval fantasy or a historical fiction, “amongst” could fit with your tone.

·        But if you are writing a news or a piece of modern fiction or a feature article, “among” is probably a better fit.

Use of Among/Amongst based in meaning

·        In the midst of

1) They walked among the crowd in the large Dussehra gathering.

2) We saw a factory amongst the houses.

·        In the group of/ in the company of

1) Among the speakers of conference was the well-known mythological expert.

2) My mother is amongst those tourists.

·        In the sense of between

1) Most of the furniture was distributed among friends.

2) My mother in law agreed to cook and that frees me up to mingle among my guests.

·        In the sense of with one another

The directors have been arguing amongst themselves.

Kids shared food among themselves.

·        Indicating a division or choice between three or more people or things

This grant will be divided among NGOs working for the same cause.

Resources should be shared out equally amongst the population.

Some Examples-

     1)   Among the passengers was a god-looking man.

     2)   They all stared at me as I passed straight among them.

     3)   Reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it.

     4)   I slipped down to the ground and crawled in among the trees.

     5)   These tips should help your website rank among the best in the world.

     6)   Snakes are among the animals most feared by man.

     7)   A German woman was among the 34 victims of the disaster.

     8)   You are among friends.

     9)   The old king called the three princesses to divide his kingdom among them.

     10)  There has been a drop in tooth decay among children.

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