Understanding the Difference Between Imply and Infer

Imply vs. Infer: Understanding the Difference

The words “imply” and “infer” might seem the same, but they have different meanings and uses. Let’s look at what they mean, where they come from, and how we can remember and use them correctly.

History of the Words

Imply comes from a Latin word that means “to enfold or involve.” When you imply something, you give a hint or a clue without saying it directly.

Infer also comes from Latin, from a word that means “to carry into.” To infer is to understand or guess something from clues or hints that someone else gave.

How to Use “Imply” and “Infer”

Imply is something a speaker or writer does. They suggest something without saying it clearly. For example:

• She implied she was tired by yawning often.
• The dark clouds implied that it might rain soon.
• When he said, “It’s late,” he implied that it was time to leave.
• The teacher implied there could be a quiz tomorrow by mentioning studying.
• By not including him in the party plans, they implied he was not invited.

Infer is something a listener or reader does. They pick up on those suggestions or clues and figure out what they mean. For example:

• I inferred she was upset because she was very quiet.
• From the look on his face, we inferred that he was not happy with the news.
• She inferred from the silence that nobody liked the idea.
• When he brought an umbrella, I inferred it was going to rain.
• We can infer from her grades that she studies a lot.

Trick to Remember

To help remember: “Imply” is a clue given by the speaker, and “Infer” is a guess made by the listener. If you think of “I” in “Imply” as “I give” and “I” in “Infer” as “I guess,” it can help you remember who is doing what.

Summary

In summary, to imply is to give a hint without directly saying it, and to infer is to understand or guess what that hint means. Remember, the speaker or writer implies, and the listener or reader infers.