Can they be used interchangeably? If not, in which situations should I use the former and the latter?
Learn English – Can “however” and “but” be used interchangeably
comparisonword-usage
comparisonword-usage
Can they be used interchangeably? If not, in which situations should I use the former and the latter?
Best Answer
When they're interchangeable...
The following sentences are typical uses of "but/however" (note the different punctuation, hat tip:@snailboat):
In these sentences, the two words are essentially interchangeable. The version with "but" is probably a little more informal.
When they're not...
There are other uses of the two words, however, where they are not interchangeable. Here are a few examples:
Examples where you can use only "but"...
Examples where you can use only "however"...