What's the difference between these three words?

Question

"I think", "I guess" and "I reckon"(not the meaning of to calculate) share the almost same meaning, I think. If so, what kind of nuance do they have?

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

I think is the most formal and I reckon is the least.

Omo · Answer

Mister MicawberI think is the most formal and I reckon is the least.

Thanks for clearing it up, Mr. Micawber. And what a coincidence! My hometown is Yokohama and I still live here.

CalifJim · Answer

I reckon is hardly used at all where I live. I associate it with the southern U.S. It's more similar to I guess than to I think.

The usage of I think and I guess can be quite different.

You use I think to express an opinion. It may have a forward-looking, positive feel.

I think high fructose corn syrup is responsible for obesity in children.
I think we should collect signatures so we can get this law repealed.
I think you'll do very well on your exam.

(I would not use I guess (I reckon) in any of the statements above.)
__________

You use I guess to give your estimate of a situation. It can express powerlessness to do anything about the situation as well -- or at least the idea of resignation to the situation. It's somewhat more backward-looking.

I guess I've lost the lottery again. I don't have any of those numbers. (sigh)
I guess you'll have to start over, now that you've ruined that batch.
I guess I must have got the wrong number because the call's not going through.

(I would not very likely use I think in any of the statements above -- certainly not with the first of the three, although possibly for the third.)
__________

There is some overlap, however.

CJ

A Cornish Pasty · Answer

"Reckon" is also used in the UK, with the same amount of informality.

Mister Micawber · Answer

My hometown is Yokohama and I still live here.

Come by and see me in Uchikoshi sometime.

Sarangadhar · Answer

Omo"I think", "I guess" and "I reckon"(not the meaning of to calculate) share the almost same meaning, I think. If so, what kind of nuance do they have?

Somewhere I read the difference between I think and I believe:

I think - you know the reason and based on some thesis you are expressing your idea.

I guess - you may not reason it carefully, but you are guessing on the spot with a positive opinion. Here you may not have done any research before you express your idea.

Avangi · Answer

Omo"I think", "I guess" and "I reckon"(not the meaning of to calculate) share the almost same meaning, I think. If so, what kind of nuance do they have?

Showing my age, I associate "reckon" with cowboy movies of the 1940's and country&western music: "How it beckons, and I reckon/ I would work for any wage/To be free again, just to be again/ Where the bloom is on the sage." (Gene Autry)

Khoff · Answer

I also associate "I reckon" with either cowboys or hillbillies.  It always surprises me to come across it in the Harry Potter books -- I think it must have a higher social standing in the U.K. than in the U.S.

Hoa Thai · Answer

Hi,

Our English club here in Vietnam is very young; and we once had a Kentuckian guest. When he used reckon, I had a feeling that he was either unsure (guessing) or being indifferent.

Best Regards,
Hoa Thai

What's the difference between these three words?

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