Cool MateAlike vs Comparable vs Identical vs Resemble
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Alike
Comparable
Identical
Resemble
| Alike | Comparable | Identical | Resemble | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/əˈlaɪk/"]/🇺🇸 /["/əˈlaɪk/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈkɒmpərəbl/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈkɑːmpərəbl/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/aɪˈdentɪkl/"]/🇺🇸 /["/aɪˈdentɪkl/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/rɪˈzembl/","/rɪˈzemblz/","/rɪˈzembld/","/rɪˈzemblɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/rɪˈzembl/","/rɪˈzemblz/","/rɪˈzembld/","/rɪˈzemblɪŋ/"]/ |
| Meaning | similar or the same as something else | Able to be compared to something else. | Exactly the same as something else. | To look like someone or something. |
| Example | They tried to treat all their children alike. | A comparable house in the south of the city would cost twice as much. | a row of identical houses | She closely resembles her sister. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | C1 | C1 | B2 | C1 |
| Part of speech | adverb | adjective | adjective | verb |
| Collocations | look alike, feel alike, sound alike, think alike | be, become, closely, quite, very, in, to, with, something comparable (to something), there is nothing comparable (to something) | appear, be, look, absolutely, completely, exactly, in, to, with | closely, greatly, strongly, be designed to, tend to, in, anything resembling something, something resembling something |
| Antonyms | different, unlike | incomparable, unequal, dissimilar | different, diverse, distinct | differ, contrast, depart |
| Common mistakes | 'Alike' used for more than two subjects (e.g., 'The three cars look alike' is correct, but 'The car and the bike are alike'.), Confusing 'alike' with 'like' in different sentence structures., 'Alike' often misused in the passive voice. | Confused with 'comparative' which refers to a grammatical degree., Using 'comparable' without a 'to' or 'with', which is incorrect., Omitting 'to' when making comparisons. | Using 'identical' when comparing things that are similar but not the same., Confusing 'identical' with 'similar'., Incorrectly using 'identical' in non-comparative contexts. | 'Resemble' is often confused with 'look like' despite being interchangeable in many contexts., Learners sometimes misuse 'resemble' with a preposition (e.g., 'resemble to'). It should be direct., Confusing the subject-verb agreement when using 'resemble' with plural nouns. |
| Usage notes | Use 'alike' to show similarity between two objects or subjects. Avoid in formal writing; 'similar' is preferred in those contexts. | Use 'comparable' when discussing similarities between two items. It is more neutral than 'superior' or 'inferior', and avoids informal usage. Avoid using it in casual conversations where simpler words like 'similar' could suffice. | Use 'identical' when comparing two or more things that have no differences. It's appropriate in both casual and formal contexts, but avoid using it with subjective descriptions that don't show clear similarity. | Use 'resemble' when discussing physical appearance or characteristics. It's typically neutral, but avoid it in very formal writing. In informal contexts, 'look like' is more common. |
Frequently asked questions: Alike vs Comparable vs Identical vs Resemble
What's the difference between Alike, Comparable, Identical, and Resemble?
Alike: similar or the same as something else Comparable: Able to be compared to something else. Identical: Exactly the same as something else. Resemble: To look like someone or something.
Are Alike, Comparable, Identical, and Resemble the same CEFR level?
Alike: C1, Comparable: C1, Identical: B2, Resemble: C1 on the CEFR scale.
What part of speech are Alike, Comparable, Identical, and Resemble?
Alike: adverb, Comparable: adjective, Identical: adjective, Resemble: verb.
Can you show an example of each?
Alike: They tried to treat all their children alike. Comparable: A comparable house in the south of the city would cost twice as much. Identical: a row of identical houses Resemble: She closely resembles her sister.
Can I use Alike, Comparable, Identical, and Resemble interchangeably?
Not always. Alike, Comparable, Identical, and Resemble 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.