interrupt vs interfere

Question

Your talking [interferes with/interrupt] my work.

What is the difference between the two choices?

interfere: come between so as to be hindrance or obstacle

interrupt: To break the continuity or uniformity of

I have look up in the dictionary but can't tell when to use which. Please advise.

Thanks!

Philip · Accepted Answer

New2grammar
Your talking [interferes with/interrupt] my work.

What is the difference between the two choices?

interfere: come between so as to be hindrance or obstacle

interrupt: To break the continuity or uniformity of

I have look up in the dictionary but can't tell when to use which. Please advise.

Thanks!

Your definitions are correct.

Your board meeting may be interrupted by a phone call. Someone on the board may interfere with the progress by being particularly negative in his/her thinking.

Goodman · Answer

New2grammar
Your talking [interferes with/interrupt] my work.

What is the difference between the two choices?

interfere: come between so as to be hindrance or obstacle

interrupt: To break the continuity or uniformity of

I have look up in the dictionary but can't tell when to use which. Please advise.

Thanks!

Hi, New2grammar.

Disrupt, interrupt and interfere are all words with negative annotation and each has a slightly different degree in significance.

When we are listening to the AM radio while driving under a high voltage transmission tower, the radiation of the high voltage line usually interferes with the radio reception and disrupts the sound momentarily.

The failure of the air-conditioning system had interrupted the basket ball game for an hour yesterday. (stopped for an hour)

The class was disrupted as a fire alarm broke out in the hallway. (class was resumed when the alarm was cleared, Interrupt and disrupt actually can replace each other in most cases).

New2grammar · Answer

Thank you, Philip and Goodman.

Can I say "The radio reception was interrupted for 5 minutes when I drove past a high voltage transmission tower"?

If I understand it correctly, both words work fine in the above sentence but with different meanings: interferes emphasizes on the obstacle and interrupt focuses on continuity.

Goodman · Answer

<<<Can I say "The radio reception was interrupted for 5 minutes when I drove past a high voltage transmission tower"?>>>

Absolutely! your understanding is correct!

Anonymous · Answer

Thanks a lot!

David Brear · Answer

The interruption is only one kind of interference.

So, under the heading of 'interference' you might have 'interruption, play loud music, tear up book, explode nuclear bomb ...'

interrupt vs interfere

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