As I understand, the word "however" is synonymous to "but", except that it can only be used, to grossly simplify, at the beginning of sentences, like this:
"It was red. However, it was hard to see."
I am also coming to believe that it may be inserted in the middle of a phrase, if that phrase is near the beginning:
"It was red. It was, however, not easy to see."
Finally, I believe it is incorrect to use it as a substitute of "but", like this:
"It was red, however it was hard to see."
Is any of what I am saying here correct, if not, what are?
Best Answer
"However" is a rather versatile word, and its placement in a sentence can have a difference in meaning.
This "however" is similar to a "despite this/that" and should always be followed by a comma.
This is a variation on the first structure. The "however" could be replaced with a "though". It should always be preceded by a comma.
Again, this is similar to the first construction. It can be more emphatic. Like the second, it is used similarly to a "though". It should be preceded and succeeded by a comma.
This "however" is used like a "but" and the general practice is to precede it with a semicolon and end it with a comma.
So you can be quite flexible with the use of "however"; however, (see what I did there?) it is not a bad idea to limit how often you use it to avoid repetition.