Although vs But vs The club's long albeit modest history

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

Although

Top 1,000 (very common)A2conjunction

But

High-frequency chunkA1conjunction

The club's long albeit modest history

Beyond 10,000 (less common)
 AlthoughButThe club's long albeit modest history
Pronunciation🇬🇧 /["/ɔːlˈðəʊ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ɔːlˈðəʊ/"]/🇬🇧 /["/bət//bʌt/"]/🇺🇸 /["/bət//bʌt/"]/🇬🇧 //ðə klʌbz lɒŋ ɔːlˈbeɪ ˈmɒdɪst ˈhɪstəri//🇺🇸 //ðə klʌbz lɔŋ ɔlˈbiː ˈmɑdɪst ˈhɪstəri//
MeaningUsed to show a contrast or exception.Used to show contrast or exception.The club has a long, though not very impressive, history.
ExampleAlthough the sun was shining, it wasn't very warm.I wanted to go, but it started to rain.The restaurant has a long, albeit modest, reputation in the community.
RegisterNeutralNeutralNeutral
How commonTop 1,000 (very common)High-frequency chunkBeyond 10,000 (less common)
CEFR levelA2A1-
Part of speechconjunctionconjunction
Collocationsalthough it was late, although he tried, although they are differentbut I thought, but what about, but still, but then, but alsolong albeit modest reputation, long albeit modest history, long albeit modest career
Antonymsbecause, sinceand, orThe club's short albeit grand history, The club's brief albeit insignificant history
Common mistakesWrongly uses 'although' to connect two independent clauses without a comma., Uses 'although' instead of 'but' in simple sentences., Confuses 'although' with 'despite' in terms of usage.Confusing 'but' with 'and' when showing contrast., Starting a sentence with 'but' in very formal writing., Using a comma before 'but' when the clauses are very short.'Albeit' cannot be used at the beginning of a sentence., Confusing 'albeit' with 'although'., Using 'albeit' without a contrasting idea.
Usage notesUsed in both spoken and written contexts. It's suitable for formal writing, but also common in everyday conversation. Avoid starting sentences with 'although' in very casual speech.'But' is used to connect two contrasting ideas. It’s appropriate in both spoken and written English but may sound abrupt in very formal writing.Use 'albeit' in formal or neutral contexts to contrast two statements. Avoid in informal speech.

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Although
The club's long albeit modest history

Frequently asked questions: Although vs But vs The club's long albeit modest history

What's the difference between Although, But, and The club's long albeit modest history?

Although: Used to show a contrast or exception. But: Used to show contrast or exception. The club's long albeit modest history: The club has a long, though not very impressive, history.

Which is more advanced: Although, But, and The club's long albeit modest history?

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

Can you show an example of each?

Although: Although the sun was shining, it wasn't very warm. But: I wanted to go, but it started to rain. The club's long albeit modest history: The restaurant has a long, albeit modest, reputation in the community.

Can I use Although, But, and The club's long albeit modest history interchangeably?

Not always. Although, But, and The club's long albeit modest history 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.

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