I try to be convincing here on this blog—persuasive that grammar is indeed important. Have I convinced you, dear reader? Hopefully. Have I persuaded you? No. Trick question.
Though most people seem to use them interchangeably, “to convince” and “to persuade” should be used in different situations. The difference is all about what someone is being convinced of or persuaded to do. My word choice is intentional there. You convince someone of an idea. You persuade someone to take some sort of action.
For example:
- I want to convince you that Ukrainian women have something to teach their American counterparts. (shameless plug)
- I have been persuaded to pick up my pen to write primarily fiction concerning certain family stories. (second shameless plug)
Do you see the difference?
And for those of you ready to call out my first sentence, calm yourselves down. The adjective forms of these words are indeed synonyms.
Word choice matters. Knowing these subtleties can make you stand out. Are there any other word pairs that you think deserve similar attention?
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