Hard vs difficult

Question

Hi,There're lots of synonyns and words with the same meaning in certain way of using. It's a hard nut  for me to break when choosing which one to use because I think there must be some difference, even slight one. For example, If I didn't say "it's hard for me to make friends at new school.", I'd choose saying "difficult" instead of "hard". But in this meaning, are they really interchangeable?F.

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

Yes, they are interchangeable there.  Use 'difficult' when you wish to be more formal (as in an essay) or when there is a chance of confusion with the other common meaning of 'hard' (i.e. not soft).

Fleder_m@u_S · Answer

I got it. Thank you, Mister Micawber.

Anonymous · Answer

I have read an absolutely insightful dictionary a while ago, which was only about the subtle differences between synonyms.It says that regardless of formality or informality, we normally use Hard for physical matters. For instance, It's really hard to write 6 pages tonight. Or, it is hard to drive 8 hours continuously.
Similarly, difficult has the same function, but for the mental matters; for example,
The morphology test is going to be very difficult. In this case, you may be tired mentally in that it requires lots of thinking.
* The most difficult class is history, we've got plenty to read and memorise.

This is the only difference the book gave me.

But, as I have noticed and compared these two words, this rule is violated in several different contexts. I mean sometimes people use these two words interchangeably.

Dolamary

Anonymous · Answer

Could you tell me the name of that useful dictionary you read?

Anonymous · Answer

Was my father, (Frederick George Channon), correct all those years ago?

When I was a child (1940's-1950's) If my father asked me "how was your homework this evening", and I replied, "Hard", he would give my head a real crack with a clever flick of his third finger knuckle, and say "That's hard, you mean difficult". If he did that today he would probably get charged with child abuse !! however, it certainly did me no harm and I have never forgotten those lessons.

Throughout my life, (I am now a retired Marine Engineer Officer), I have always used these two words in what I believe to be the correct context, so it ihas never been difficult for me to understand the true meaning of the word 'Hard', e.g. Lignum Vitae is a very 'HARD' wood, or ' That tree is very ' DIFFICULT' to climb'.

Over the years I have noticed a slow progressive change to the way those two words are used today, It now seems perfectly acceptable for the word 'Hard' to be constantly used as an acceptable replacement for the word 'Difficult'.

My Father is no longer with us, if he was, I have no doubt a lot of news readers, politicians and English teachers would be going around with sore heads !!

So my question is very simple: Was my Father grammatically correct, and have years changed a small piece of English grammar, I would love to know if he was right or wrong, which hopefully would then allow me to get rid of this constant headache !!!

Ronald F G Channon.

October 10th 2017.

Hard vs difficult

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions