Do "among" and "between" mean the same thing?

Question

What's the difference between the usage of among and between, or do they have absolutely the same meaning? –Marina, Georgia

Answer

Among

Among is used to talk about something that is exists or happens inside a group, as in the sentences below:

1. The house is nestled among the trees.
2. The disease spread quickly among the members of the community.
3. He lived among artists and writers.
4. There is a lot of dissatisfaction among the voters.

Between
Between would not be used in the sentences above. It doesn’t share the idea of inside a group. Instead, between is used to talk about something that exists in or moves across the time or space that separates different things - usually two things but sometimes more.*  These things can be objects, people, concepts, events, numbers, dates, etc.

The sentences below illustrate the main uses of between:

1. The ball rolled between the desk and the wall.
2. This book blurs the line between fact and fiction.
3. The package weighs between a pound and a pound and a half.
4. He flies between Miami and Chicago every week.
5. There are many connections between linguistics, philosophy, and psychology.

Both words

There are sentences in which either word could be used. Both among and between can be used to talk about dividing something, for example:

• The property was divided equally among/between the four survivors.

And both words could be used in a sentence like this one, as well:

• The children are always arguing among/between themselves.

*Some grammarians do not think between should be used for more than two of something.

More help with English prepositions:

• opposite vs. across from
• How to use "between," including idioms
• Which should you use, "toward" or "towards"?
• The uses of "in" and "on"