relation vs. relationship
– B2-C2 (intermediate to advanced) –
Practice Your Listening Comprehension
Practice Your Reading Comprehension
It is a common mistake among English learners to say “relation” instead of “relationship.” These words do not mean the same thing in the English language:
relation
In North American English, this word typically means:
(uncountable noun) the similarity between two things
(noun; always plural (relations)) the connection between groups, organizations, or nations
(countable noun; formal) family member
(noun; always plural (relations); formal euphemism) sex
EXAMPLES
(definition 1) “The movie is based on a book, but unfortunately there is no real relation between them; their story lines and characters are completely different.”
(definition 2) “Maintaining international relations is typically an important element of government.”
(definition 3) “The woman’s surname is Depp, but she is not a relation of the American actor, Johnny Depp.”
(definition 4) “He said in court that he had never had relations with her. In fact, he said that they had never even met each other before the trial.”
relationship
In North American English, this word typically means:
a type of connection between two or more people or things
EXAMPLES
“My longest relationship is a friendship that I have had for 25 years. My friend and I met when we were just kids.”
“Mary and her husband have been married since 2020, but their relationship first began in 2016 when they started dating.”
“Unfortunately, Taylor does not have a good relationship with his father. He does, however, have a great relationship with his mother.”
Have you ever confused “relation” for “relationship”? When have you made this mistake? Practice your English by letting me know in the comments below.
