After vs Following vs Later

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

After

Top 1,000 (very common) A1 preposition

Following

Top 1,000 (very common) A2 adjective

Later

Top 1,000 (very common) A1 adverb

	After	Following	Later
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/ˈɑːftə(r)/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈæftər/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/ˈfɒləʊɪŋ/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈfɑːləʊɪŋ/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/ˈleɪtə(r)/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈleɪtər/"]/
Meaning	Later in time than something else.	To come after something or someone.	After a time or at a future time.
Example	We will go to the park after lunch.	Answer the following questions.	I will call you later when I finish my work.
Register	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 1,000 (very common)	Top 1,000 (very common)	Top 1,000 (very common)
CEFR level	A1	A2	A1
Part of speech	preposition	adjective	adverb
Collocations	after school, after work, after dinner, after the event	following instructions, following someone, following a trend	see you later, later than expected, talk about it later
Antonyms	before	preceding, leading	sooner, earlier
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 'preceeding' - using 'following' incorrectly to describe something that comes before., Using 'follow' instead of 'following' in adjective form.	Confused with 'latter' - 'later' refers to time, while 'latter' refers to the second of two items., Misused in phrases where 'after' would be more appropriate., Misspelled as 'latter' when referring to time.
Usage notes	Used to indicate time. Common in both spoken and written English. Avoid using in very formal contexts without a clear time reference.	Use 'following' to indicate something that comes next in time or order. It's appropriate in various contexts, including writing and conversation, but avoid using it in overly casual settings when referring to people.	Used in both spoken and written English to indicate a time in the future. It is appropriate for casual conversations but can also be used in more formal contexts.

See it in real clips

"Here's somebody who has the answer." I'll follow you anywhere, Mr Gump.

Sherlock › S1 E1

One of them could have been following him, but...

Succession › S1 E1

following a major medical incident...

"Here's somebody who has the answer." I'll follow you anywhere, Mr Gump.

Sherlock › S1 E1

One of them could have been following him, but...

Following

Three days later, your granddad was dead, but Winocki kept his word.

FORREST: Two weeks later, I left Vietnam.

Three days later, your granddad was dead, but Winocki kept his word.

FORREST: Two weeks later, I left Vietnam.

Later

Frequently asked questions: After vs Following vs Later

What's the difference between After, Following, and Later?

After: Later in time than something else. Following: To come after something or someone. Later: After a time or at a future time.

Which is more advanced: After, Following, and Later?

Following is the highest level, at A2, on the CEFR scale.

Are After, Following, and Later the same CEFR level?

After: A1, Following: A2, Later: A1 on the CEFR scale.

What part of speech are After, Following, and Later?

After: preposition, Following: adjective, Later: adverb.

Can you show an example of each?

After: We will go to the park after lunch. Following: Answer the following questions. Later: I will call you later when I finish my work.

Can I use After, Following, and Later interchangeably?

Not always. After, Following, and Later 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.