Cool MateAchievement vs Completion vs Graduation
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Achievement
Completion
Graduation
| Achievement | Completion | Graduation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/əˈtʃiːvmənt/"]/🇺🇸 /["/əˈtʃiːvmənt/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/kəmˈpliːʃn/"]/🇺🇸 /["/kəmˈpliːʃn/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //ˌɡrædʒ.ʊˈeɪ.ʃən//🇺🇸 //ˌɡrædʒ.ʊˈeɪ.ʃən// |
| Meaning | Something you have done successfully. | The act of finishing something. | The ceremony when students finish school or college. |
| Example | Winning the championship was a great achievement for the team. | The completion of the project was celebrated with a party. | She was excited to attend her graduation ceremony next week. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | B1 | B2 | - |
| Part of speech | noun | noun | |
| Collocations | amazing, considerable, extraordinary, be, constitute, represent, achievement in, quite an achievement, high, individual, personal, level, standard, measure, gap, award, test, a feeling of achievement, a sense of achievement, a lack of achievement | rapid, speedy, early, near, reach, bring something to, date, time, rate, after completion, following completion, before completion, the date of completion | graduation ceremony, graduation day, high school graduation, college graduation, graduation speech |
| Antonyms | failure, defeat, setback | incompletion, unfinished, failure | - |
| Common mistakes | Confusing 'achievement' with 'accomplishment' when used in similar contexts., Using 'achievements' incorrectly as a verb instead of a noun., Not distinguishing between short-term and long-term achievements. | Using 'complete' instead of 'completion' as a noun, Confusing it with 'completionist' in game contexts, Saying 'the completion of the work is done' instead of 'the completion of the work is finished' | Confused with 'graduated' as a verb instead of a noun., Using 'graduation' incorrectly for non-educational completions, like training., Saying 'the graduation' instead of 'graduation' when talking about the event broadly. |
| Usage notes | Use 'achievement' in both formal and informal settings. It's suitable for discussions about school, career, or personal goals, but may not fit casual conversations about everyday events. | Use 'completion' in contexts where something is finished. Common in academic or formal settings, but less so in casual conversation. Be careful in using it in informal settings where simpler words may work better. | Used mostly in educational contexts. Formal when referring to the ceremony, and can be informal when discussing the achievement. |
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Frequently asked questions: Achievement vs Completion vs Graduation
What's the difference between Achievement, Completion, and Graduation?
Achievement: Something you have done successfully. Completion: The act of finishing something. Graduation: The ceremony when students finish school or college.
Which is more advanced: Achievement, Completion, and Graduation?
Completion is the highest level, at B2, on the CEFR scale.
Can you show an example of each?
Achievement: Winning the championship was a great achievement for the team. Completion: The completion of the project was celebrated with a party. Graduation: She was excited to attend her graduation ceremony next week.
Can I use Achievement, Completion, and Graduation interchangeably?
Not always. Achievement, Completion, and Graduation 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.