Compare and contrast transition words for essays, discussions and more

When you are trying to compare and contrast different things, it helps to have the right words and phrases to explain your ideas clearly. This is where compare and contrast transition words come in handy.

A transition word or phrase guides the listener or reader through what the speaker or writer is saying. We use transition words, also known as ‘discourse markers‘, or ‘signal words’, to help us structure what we say and make our meaning clearer.

So, let’s take a look at some common transition words for comparing and contrasting – as well as some which you may not be familiar with. We have included plenty of example sentences so you can understand how to use them correctly.

Compare and contrast transition words

Comparing and contrasting involves explaining how one thing is the same as or different to something else, and examining alternatives. You may get a compare and contrast essay assignment, for example, or you might need to write a business plan exploring different possible outcomes.

Whatever the situation, these transition words for comparing and contrasting will help you transition from one point to the next in a clear and logical way.

Transition words for comparing similarities

When you want to highlight the similarities between two things, or talk about how they are the same, these are the comparison transition words you should use.

The following signal words can be used to compare two things in the same sentence:

• as … as
• like
• similar

“Cats are as friendly as dogs.”
“That cloud looks like a face.”
“I look similar to my mother.”

The next group of comparing words are used after one point has been stated or mentioned, and they begin the following sentence that contains the second point:

• equally
• in the same way
• likewise
• similarly

“The sales team need to work hard to meet their targets this month. Similarly, all warehouse staff must make an effort to despatch all orders on time.”

Find more examples of alternative words for ‘similarly’ here.

Transition words for contrast emphasis

When presenting something that contrasts with what was previously written or said, or what would be expected as a result of a previous point, we can use these contradictory transition words.

In a simple sentence when presenting the two pieces of information together, we can use:

• but
• unlike
• whereas

“I’m really good at playing the guitar but I can’t play the flute.”
“Alan is a great singer whereas Anna is an excellent painter.”
“Spain is good for beach holidays, unlike Austria, which is good for skiing.”

To add information that contradicts or contrasts with what has previously been said in a separate sentence, we can use one of the following:

• conversely
• however
• in contrast
• on the contrary
• On the one hand… On the other hand

Here are some sentences with discourse markers to express contrast:

“Our children’s products have performed very well this year. Conversely, sales of menswear have fallen slightly.”
“It’s been sunny today; however, I think it’s going to rain tomorrow.”
“I’m not sure if we should continue working with this supplier. On the one hand, they have the best pricing in the market and a good reputation. On the other hand, we have had many problems with their service recently.”

Find some more emphasis transition words here.

Transition words to signal contrast in an outcome

When talking about one thing happening in spite of another thing (in contrast to the expected outcome), we can use transition words and phrases such as:

• all the same
• even so
• in spite of this
• mind you
• nevertheless
• nonetheless
• still
• yet

“The away team fought really hard to secure a victory. Still, the home team eventually won 2:1.”
“I will try to pick up some groceries on the way home. All the same, it would be nice if you had time to do the shopping this afternoon.”
“It has been a very tough year for the hospitality sector. In spite of this, our restaurant has managed to turn a good profit.”

In the same situation as above, but with the two points joined in the same sentence, you can use these signal words:

• although
• despite
• in spite of
• even though

“Even though the kids hadn’t met before, they got on really well at the party.”
“We managed to afford a holiday despite our financial problems.”
“We had a great time at the beach, in spite of the clouds.”

Find some more transition words for ending and concluding here.

Transition words for contrasting solutions and suggestions

And finally, these signal words can be used when you’re making a suggestion or offering a solution that contrasts with another suggestion or solution:

• alternatively
• instead of
• another option is to
• what about

“Instead of cooking dinner tonight, why don’t we get a takeaway?”
“We could hire a new staff member for this project. Alternatively we could just use a consultant on a temporary basis.”

And that concludes this list of compare and contrast transition words. If you have any other examples or are unsure how to use these compare and contrast words in a sentence, please leave a comment below.

If you found this article useful, take a look at these others which cover different categories of transition word:

Transition words for addition
Transition words for cause and effect
Transition words for giving examples
Transition words for time order and sequence

Finally, if you have a compare and contrast essay assignment, this resource might help you structure it well and cover the topic in full.