Alternate vs. Alternative: Which Word Do You Need?

You are probably familiar with the words alternate and alternative. You may have even used them interchangeably. Many native speakers of American English think the words mean the same thing, but they have slightly separate definitions and uses.

Which word do you need in a particular sentence? In this article we’ll give you the answers you need.

The Meaning of Alternate

Alternate can be used as a verb or an adjective.

As a noun, it means “one thing that can substitute for another”:

I wasn’t chosen for the debate team, but I will serve as an alternate if another debater is unavailable.

As a verb, alternate means “to go back and forth”:

The weather will alternate between sun and rain each day next week.

 As an adjective, alternate means “constituting a replacement”:

While driving home, we took the alternate route instead of the highway.

The Meaning of Alternative

The word alternative is similar to alternate, but it has a slightly different meaning. It can be used as both a noun and an adjective in referring to different choices or possibilities. Here are a couple of examples:

Sheila wanted to remove sugar and butter from her cake recipe but couldn’t find any suitable alternatives (noun). 

Alternative (adjective) medicine offers different solutions to the open-minded.

One good way to remember the difference is to use a metaphor. If you were looking at a chessboard, you would see a pattern of alternate light and dark squares. But, if you were thinking of the best move for your knight, you would be considering different alternatives.

 

Pop Quiz

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate choice of alternate or alternative(s).

1. John requested an _____ flight that wouldn’t require him to wake up before dawn.
2. My humanities professor likes to _____ his lectures between English and Latin.
3. You should never take your cousin to prom without first considering all other _____.
4. I wasn’t sure whether Sam was playing ______ music or a recording of construction sound effects.
5. Sue and her husband _____ weekends for taking the dog to the park.

 

Pop Quiz Answers

1. John requested an alternate flight that wouldn’t require him to wake up before dawn.
2. My humanities professor likes to alternate his lectures between English and Latin.
3. You should never take your cousin to prom without first considering all other
4. I wasn’t sure whether Sam was playing alternative music or a recording of construction sound effects.
5. Sue and her husband alternate weekends for taking the dog to the park.

 

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If you’d like to sharpen your skills in good grammar, look through some of our previous articles. You can also leave us a comment below. You might even suggest a future topic!

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