You folks vs You guys

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

You folks

Informal Top 2,000 (common)

You guys

Informal Top 2,000 (common)

	You folks	You guys
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 //juː fəʊks// 🇺🇸 //juː foʊks//	🇬🇧 //jʊ ɡaɪz// 🇺🇸 //ju ɡaɪz//
Meaning	You all or you people.	a way to address a group of people, typically friends or peers.
Example	Hey you folks, how was your weekend?	Hey you guys, are we still on for dinner tonight?
Register	Informal	Informal
How common	Top 2,000 (common)	Top 2,000 (common)
Collocations	you folks are, you folks know, hey folks	Hey you guys, you guys know, you guys wanna, alright you guys
Antonyms	-	you all (formal), you alone, I, we
Common mistakes	Used in very formal situations where 'you all' or 'everyone' would be better., 'Folks' sometimes confused with 'fokls', which is incorrect.	'You guys' used in formal situations., Mixing 'you guys' with 'y'all' in regions where they are not culturally appropriate., Using 'you guys' to refer to a mixed-gender group can be seen as non-inclusive.
Usage notes	Used casually to address a group. More common in American English; may not be suitable in formal settings.	Use 'you guys' in casual conversations but avoid in formal contexts. It's popular among friends but may sound disrespectful in highly formal settings.

See it in real clips

Breaking Bad › S1 E3

So you folks

Ted Lasso › S1 E1

Now, look here. I respect what you folks in the media do.

Breaking Bad › S1 E3

So you folks

Ted Lasso › S1 E1

Now, look here. I respect what you folks in the media do.

You folks

How I Met Your Mother › S1 E1

Carl, you guys weren't there.

You guys can talk the ears right off my head. You know what I mean?

Friends › S1 E1

You guys.

How I Met Your Mother › S1 E1

Carl, you guys weren't there.

You guys can talk the ears right off my head. You know what I mean?

You guys

Frequently asked questions: You folks vs You guys

What's the difference between You folks and You guys?

You folks: You all or you people. You guys: a way to address a group of people, typically friends or peers.

Can you show an example of each?

You folks: Hey you folks, how was your weekend? You guys: Hey you guys, are we still on for dinner tonight?

Can I use You folks and You guys interchangeably?

Not always. You folks and You guys 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.