After vs Afterwards

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

After

Top 1,000 (very common) A1 preposition

Afterwards

Top 2,000 (common) B2 adverb

Most common: After

	After	Afterwards
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/ˈɑːftə(r)/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈæftər/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/ˈɑːftəwədz/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈæftərwərdz/"]/
Meaning	Later in time than something else.	After something happens, at a later time.
Example	We will go to the park after lunch.	Afterwards she was sorry for what she'd said.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 1,000 (very common)	Top 2,000 (common)
CEFR level	A1	B2
Part of speech	preposition	adverb
Collocations	after school, after work, after dinner, after the event	arrive afterwards, meet afterwards, discuss afterwards, see each other afterwards, leave afterwards
Antonyms	before	beforehand, previously
Common mistakes	Using 'after' with past tenses incorrectly, e.g., 'after I ate' should be linked with a past event., Confusing 'after' with 'before' in timeline contexts., Misplacing 'after' in a sentence, leading to unclear meaning.	Confused with 'after' (not interchangeable)., Omitting 's' in 'afterwards' when using it in sentences., Using 'afterwards' too early in a sentence.
Usage notes	Used to indicate time. Common in both spoken and written English. Avoid using in very formal contexts without a clear time reference.	Used in both spoken and written English, 'afterwards' is appropriate for neutral contexts. Avoid in very formal writing where 'subsequently' may be preferred.

See it in real clips

The Lord Of The Rings › The return of the king

and made peace afterwards.

Someone else claims he heard the killing, saw the boy run out afterwards.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. › S1 E1

And I didn't feel good afterwards.

The Lord Of The Rings › The return of the king

and made peace afterwards.

Someone else claims he heard the killing, saw the boy run out afterwards.

Afterwards

Frequently asked questions: After vs Afterwards

What's the difference between After and Afterwards?

After: Later in time than something else. Afterwards: After something happens, at a later time.

Which is more common: After and Afterwards?

After is the most common in everyday English.

Which is more advanced: After and Afterwards?

Afterwards is the highest level, at B2, on the CEFR scale.

Are After and Afterwards the same CEFR level?

After: A1, Afterwards: B2 on the CEFR scale.

What part of speech are After and Afterwards?

After: preposition, Afterwards: adverb.

Can you show an example of each?

After: We will go to the park after lunch. Afterwards: Afterwards she was sorry for what she'd said.

Can I use After and Afterwards interchangeably?

Not always. After and Afterwards are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.