Cool MateDifficulty vs Struggle
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Difficulty
Top 2,000 (common)B1noun
Struggle
Top 1,000 (very common)B2verb
Most common: Struggle
| Difficulty | Struggle | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈdɪfɪkəlti/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈdɪfɪkəlti/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈstrʌɡl/","/ˈstrʌɡlz/","/ˈstrʌɡld/","/ˈstrʌɡlɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈstrʌɡl/","/ˈstrʌɡlz/","/ˈstrʌɡld/","/ˈstrʌɡlɪŋ/"]/ |
| Meaning | How hard something is. | To try hard to do something difficult. |
| Example | The difficulty of the exam surprised many students. | She had to struggle through the difficult exam to pass her class. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | B1 | B2 |
| Part of speech | noun | verb |
| Collocations | considerable, enormous, extreme, level, encounter, experience, face, arise, lie (in something), despite a/the difficulty, in difficulty, with difficulty, considerable, enormous, extreme, level, encounter, experience, face, arise, lie (in something), despite a/the difficulty, in difficulty, with difficulty, considerable, enormous, extreme, level, encounter, experience, face, arise, lie (in something), despite a/the difficulty, in difficulty, with difficulty | desperately, hard, manfully, have to, against, along, down, struggle to your feet, badly, really, clearly, through, with, struggle to make ends meet, fiercely, furiously, violently, against, with, struggle free |
| Antonyms | easy, simple, effortless | succeed, flourish, thrive |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'difficult' (adjective) vs. 'difficulty' (noun), Using 'difficulties' when referring to multiple challenges, Overgeneralizing to describe feelings instead of tasks | 'Struggled' vs 'struggles' confusion - using the wrong tense., Omitting 'to' when saying what one struggles to do., 'Struggles with' is sometimes mistakenly used with objects instead of actions. |
| Usage notes | Often used to describe challenges in tasks, tests, or activities. Suitable in both casual and academic contexts. Avoid using in overly informal situations. | Use 'struggle' when discussing challenges or difficulties, both physically and mentally. It's appropriate in most contexts, from casual conversations to more serious discussions about issues. |
See it in real clips
Frequently asked questions: Difficulty vs Struggle
What's the difference between Difficulty and Struggle?
Difficulty: How hard something is. Struggle: To try hard to do something difficult.
Which is more common: Difficulty and Struggle?
Struggle is the most common in everyday English.
Which is more advanced: Difficulty and Struggle?
Struggle is the highest level, at B2, on the CEFR scale.
Are Difficulty and Struggle the same CEFR level?
Difficulty: B1, Struggle: B2 on the CEFR scale.
What part of speech are Difficulty and Struggle?
Difficulty: noun, Struggle: verb.
Can you show an example of each?
Difficulty: The difficulty of the exam surprised many students. Struggle: She had to struggle through the difficult exam to pass her class.
Can I use Difficulty and Struggle interchangeably?
Not always. Difficulty and Struggle 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.