can you use but in an essay

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Alternatives to the Word ‘But’ for Academic Writing

3-minute read

• 4th November 2015

Anne might not be the most celebrated Brontë, but she was on to something in The Tenant of Wildfell Hall , in which the titular tenant notes that ‘there is always a “but” in this imperfect world’.

The same is certainly true of academic writing , where the word ‘but’ is an essential (though sometimes overused) term for constructing grammatical sentences, particularly when comparing two points.

With short words like ‘but’, you shouldn’t worry too much about repetition. Nevertheless, sometimes an alternative (like ‘nevertheless’) can improve the flow of your prose, so herein we provide a few alternatives to the word ‘but’ that you can use in your written work.

Conjunctions

Conjunctions are words used to connect two parts of a sentence, such as ‘but’, ‘and’ and ‘because’. The term ‘but’ connects two parts of a sentence while also setting up a contrast (e.g. ‘It was delicious, but the texture was awful’). In these cases, ‘but’ can be substituted with one of the following:

• Although (e.g. ‘I love dancing, although my feet hurt afterwards.’)
• Though (e.g. ‘I haven’t slept in a week, though I hope tonight I can rest properly.’)
• Yet (e.g. ‘It was terrible, yet I still want to go back and try again.’)

As well as conjunctions, you can link and contrast two ideas with an adverb or an adverbial phrase . Perhaps the most commonly used is ‘however’, so we will use this to illustrate how these words can substitute for ‘but’.

The key difference is that while conjunctions typically link two clauses in one sentence, adverbials like ‘however’ set up a contrast between two separate sentences:

Conjunction: I love dancing, but my feet hurt afterwards.

Adverbial: I love dancing. However, my feet hurt afterwards.

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As you can see, this can be handy when you want to begin a new sentence with a contrast. Having said this, the term ‘however’ can also appear mid-sentence or after a semicolon:

It was terrible. I still, however, want to go back.

It was terrible; however, I still want to go back.

Other adverbials that can be used to replace ‘but’ include:

• Nonetheless (e.g. ‘I ran fast; nonetheless, the horse won the race.’)
• Nevertheless (e.g. ‘It seemed like a mad idea. Nevertheless, it worked.’)
• Despite this (e.g. ‘I prepared for the exam thoroughly. Despite this, I failed.’)
• Having said that (e.g. ‘I will never drink again. Having said that, pass me a beer.’)

As a final point, one alternative to ‘but’ you might see is ‘on the other hand’. Ideally, though, this should only be used when the initial point has been introduced with ‘On the one hand’:

On the one hand , I did break everything in your house. On the other hand , it was my birthday, so you should forgive me.

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What word can be used in place of "but" in writing or statements [closed]

I frequently write in online forums, mainly with regard to mental health materials and concepts.

I struggle with grammatical correctness and the word but gets inserted throughout a lot of my paragraphs, often repeated within a few lines. Sometimes I use the word yet instead, but (there's that word again) unthinkingly revert back to but .

The word, in the context of the writing, feels juvenile and redundant. So far, I have used yet and though but haven't found any other words to use and even these begin to sound tiresome.

What else is there?

• word-choice

• Also see Structuring sentences without using the word “but” or How commonly is “but” used in sentences? , –  James Waldby - jwpat7 Commented Aug 17, 2012 at 13:58
• I wouldn't worry much about frequent use of a short, common word like "but". Unless you're using it three times in each sentence, every sentence, people are unlikely to notice. Repeated use of less common words can be jarring. Like if you used the word "heretofore" six times in one paragraph, I think readers would find it distracting. But words like "the", "is", "but", etc? Not likely to be noticed, much less a problem. –  Jay Commented Aug 17, 2012 at 14:10

2 Answers 2

http://thesaurus.com/browse/but

Part of Speech: conjuction [sic], preposition Definition: indicating contrast Synonyms: although, however, nevertheless, on the other hand, still, though, yet

I'm sure there are more...

• Well, while I'm trying to figure out and navigate how to correctly use this forum, I'm genuinely stumped by my question being "closed" and referenced as being too basic. I find that rather dismissive. Thanks to those who did try to answer the question, much appreciation. –  USTI Commented Aug 17, 2012 at 13:32

I wouldn't worry too much about your repetition of but . It's common when writing to find your attention being drawn to surface features of your composition such as repetition of words. But your readers are most likely reading you for your meaning , not your choice of words, so the repetition of short functional words like but will go unnoticed.

You can certainly use a thesaurus to find alternatives, but this attempted remedy can end up being more noticeable than the original disease. The overuse of synonyms to avoid repetition was criticized by Henry Fowler under the heading " elegant variation ":

It is the second-rate writers, those intent rather on expressing themselves prettily than on conveying their meaning clearly, & still more those whose notions of style are based on a few misleading rules of thumb, that are chiefly open to the allurements of elegant variation.... The fatal influence ... is the advice given to young writers never to use the same word twice in a sentence—or within 20 lines or other limit.

• Wow, thank you, Andrew and Gareth. Gareth, you know how to validate a person...it's nice to think perhaps I'm not such a 'bore' afterall. Andrew, yes, I've used all of those exchanges as well and putting it into perspective, I think maybe I'm looking more with a critical eye because the subject matter I write about is in a sense, critically observed in its' field - mental health. You guys are great, thank you once again! –  USTI Commented Aug 17, 2012 at 13:36

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English for Professionals

What to Say Instead of “But” – 8 Easy Alternatives

Don’t know what to say instead of but ? In this article, I will show you eight easy alternatives for the English word but .

The English word but is a short and easy word. It’s one of the first words you learn when you start learning English. 

As a result, we use it a lot. Maybe even too often.

The problem is that you don’t want to sound repetitive .

As a confident English speaker, you want to know good alternative words you can use instead of “but.”

When you write and speak English professionally , it’s good to know other ways to say but .

The Meaning of “But”

The English word but is a conjunction . Therefore, we use it to connect two ideas . 

By saying but , you add another statement .

Usually, this additional idea is different from the first idea. Thus, you can use but to link and contrast two different ideas.

Example: 

It’s been a good year for our business, but we have to do a lot more to reach our goals. 

The meaning of but in the dictionary

Keep Punctuation and Sentence Structure in Mind with “But”

What do you have to keep in mind if you want to use alternative words for but ?

In most cases, the conjunction but will come after a comma.

The country’s economy is in a recession, but people are still buying our products.

If you are wondering what to say instead of but , remember that you sometimes cannot simply replace the word without changing the sentence.

In some cases, you cannot simply swap the words and leave the rest of the sentence.

Instead, you have to start a second sentence or use a semicolon to divide the two ideas in the sentence.

For most of the alternatives I will show you, you have to change the structure or punctuation of your sentence.

You have two options: Start a new sentence or use a semicolon.

___________________; however,______________.

___________________. However, ______________.

You can use a semicolon when you join two independent clauses together. Here is a list of examples you can use with a semicolon, but there are many others that also work.

• consequently
• furthermore
• nevertheless
• for example

Let’s look at eight ways to say but – but by changing each sentence a bit.

What to Say Instead of But

/ˌhaʊˈev.ɚ/

The word however is most often used to show a contrast. 

You can use however to introduce a different idea by starting a new sentence or by separating two closely related sentences with a semicolon. 

Examples: 

Tim is one potential candidate for the job. However, there are others. It’s been a good year for our business; however, we have to do a lot more to reach our goals. 

The word though is another alternative to but . It is mainly used in speaking. 

We need to hire help, though it will be difficult to find the right person for the job. I speak English quite well, though I have never had formal lessons. 

The word whereas is a more formal alternative to but . We use it to show a contrast between two ideas. 

She’s very hard-working, whereas I struggle to achieve my goals. He complained about the problem, whereas I was looking for solutions.

4. although

You can also use although instead of but to link two different statements. 

Although is used more in writing. Just like though , it means ‘in spite of.’ Read more about the difference between though and although here .

I liked the ideas he presented in the meeting, although I don’t think the board will accept them. This month has been productive overall, although we had to multitask a few times.

The word yet is used to add a new statement that is in contrast to the first statement. We often use yet in writing and rarely in spoken English.

She’s focused on her career. Yet, she also thrives in her personal life. He presented very good ideas in the meeting. Yet, I don’t think the board will accept them.

If you want to say but not , you can use the word except instead. It means but not or not  including .

  Our whitepaper includes marketing topics, except social media marketing. The whole team attended the meeting except Sarah.

7. nevertheless

/ˌnev.ɚ.ðəˈles/

The word nevertheless is a great alternative to but and however . We use the same punctuation as with however : either after a full stop or after a semicolon, then followed by a comma. 

Nevertheless, there may be other reasons that we don’t know about. It’s been a good year for our business; nevertheless, we have to do a lot more work to reach our goals. 

8. despite this

/dɪˈspaɪt ðɪs/

If you want to replace but, you can also use despite this . This phrase introduces a contrast, as well. In this case, it means that the second statement is not influenced or prevented by what was said before.

The country’s economy is in a recession. Despite this, people are still buying our products. She just returned from a business trip this morning. Despite this, she will attend the meeting.

Pro Tip: Use Writing Tools to See the Words in Context

Grammarly is a helpful tool that I use for all my writing. It’s an English proofreader. You can use the Grammarly app or browser extension to mark spelling, punctuation, and grammar mistakes. Grammarly even gives you suggestions on how to improve these mistakes!

Still not sure what to say instead of but ? On the Thesaurus website , you can test which word you can use in your sentence instead of but . This feature is an easy way to see how your sentence looks with different synonyms.

I also recommend Writefull to any English learner. This is a powerful tool that helps you improve your writing for free. Whenever you are not sure how to use a word in English, you can look it up on Writefull and see how it is used in context with examples from real texts, such as books, news, and scientific articles. 

The English conjunction but is a great word. It’s short and useful. 

But… you can also use many other words and phrases instead of but to avoid repetition. 

Moreover, varying your vocabulary lets you communicate more clearly in English.

When swaping but with another word, pay attention to the sentence structure and punctuation – it might have to change. 

When you choose certain alternative words and phrases for but , you have to change the punctuation in your sentence.

Depending on which alternative you chose, you might need to add a semicolon or divide the sentence into two. 

You can use several online tools to help you write correctly in English.

Further Reading: Business English Words

Use these 20 words instead of “very” in business

15 Words to use instead of “good”

What to say instead of “important” in English

Improve Your English Pronunciation Online With These 7 Free Tools

Business English Vocabulary – Launch

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• Academic writing
• Taboo words in academic writing

Words and Phrases to Avoid in Academic Writing

Published on February 6, 2016 by Sarah Vinz . Revised on September 11, 2023.

When you are writing a dissertation , thesis, or research paper, many words and phrases that are acceptable in conversations or informal writing are considered inappropriate in academic writing .

You should try to avoid expressions that are too informal, unsophisticated, vague, exaggerated, or subjective, as well as those that are generally unnecessary or incorrect.

Bear in mind, however, that these guidelines do not apply to text you are directly quoting from your sources (including interviews ).

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Table of contents

Too informal, too exaggerated, too subjective, generally incorrect, other interesting articles.

Academic writing is generally more formal than the writing we see in non-academic materials (including on websites). It is also more formal than the ways in which we normally speak. The following words and phrases are considered too informal for a dissertation or academic paper.

Informal sentence starts

Some words are acceptable in certain contexts, but become too informal when used at the beginning of a sentence. You can replace these with appropriate  transition words  or simply remove them from the sentence.

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Using vague terms makes your writing imprecise and may cause people to interpret it in different ways. Always try to be as specific as possible.

Academic writing is usually unadorned and direct. Some adverbs of frequency (such as always and never ) and intensifiers (words that create emphasis, such as really ) are often too dramatic. They may also not be accurate – you’re making a significant claim when you say something is perfect or never happens.

These terms do sometimes add value, but try to use them sparingly.

Some words and phrases reveal your own bias. For instance, if you state that something will obviously happen, you are indicating that you think the occurrence is obvious – not stating a fact.

Expressing your opinion is appropriate in certain sections of a dissertation and in particular types of academic texts (such as personal statements and reflective or argumentative essays ). In most cases, though, take care when using words and phrases such as those below – try to let the facts speak for themselves, or emphasize your point with less biased language.

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Certain words and phrases are often used incorrectly, even by native speakers of a language. If you’re exposed to such mistakes often enough, you may start to assume they are correct – but it’s important that you don’t let them creep into your writing.

You should also bear in mind that some of these mistakes relate to things we all frequently mishear (for instance, we often think the speaker is saying would of instead of would have ).

In general, you should also try to avoid using words and phrases that fall into the following categories:

• Jargon (i.e., “insider” terminology that may be difficult for readers from other fields to understand)
• Clichés (i.e., expressions that are heavily overused, such as think outside of the box and at the end of the day )
• Everyday abbreviations (e.g., approx. , ASAP, corona, stats, info )
• Slang (e.g., cops , cool )
• Gender-biased language   (e.g., firemen , mankind )
• Generally unnecessary (e.g., redundant expressions that do not add meaning, such as compete with each other instead of simply compete)

Reflective reports and  personal statements  sometimes have a less formal tone. In these types of writing, you may not have to follow these guidelines as strictly. The preface or acknowledgements of a dissertation also often have a less formal and more personal voice than the rest of the document.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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Vinz, S. (2023, September 11). Words and Phrases to Avoid in Academic Writing. Scribbr. Retrieved July 2, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-writing/taboo-words/

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Sarah's academic background includes a Master of Arts in English, a Master of International Affairs degree, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. She loves the challenge of finding the perfect formulation or wording and derives much satisfaction from helping students take their academic writing up a notch.

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80+ Alternatives for “But”: A Word List for Writers

The Simplest Words Are Often the Toughest to Replace

Can you imagine devising alternatives for a, an, or the ?

Fortunately, those words don’t stand out. Readers usually slip over them without a second thought.

However, but , like many words, isn’t invisible when it appears too often. Endless repetitions frustrate readers. Likewise with its most common replacement, however .

Imagine a Man and a Woman Resolving a Dispute

Ron leaned toward Edwina. “ But you said you would —”

She pointed her finger at him. “ But I changed my mind.”

They both stood, glaring at each other, but not budging an inch from their spots on the edge of the swimming pool. A voice floated over the fence, but it was too soft to decipher.

Ron yelled , “Who is it?”

But the voice remained silent.

Edwina propped her hands on her hips but kept glaring at Ron. “It’s probably your moth —”

“Not his mother,” replied the voice, “ but I’ll give you three guesses. Then I’ll throw you both into the pool if you don’t kiss and make up.”

Seven appearances of but in seven paragraphs. Let’s consider an edited version:

Ron leaned toward Edwina. “You said you would —”

They both stood, glaring at each other, and not budging an inch from their spots on the edge of the swimming pool. A voice floated over the fence — a voice too soft to decipher.

Ron yelled, “Who is it?”

The voice remained silent.

Edwina propped her hands on her hips, continuing to glare at Ron. “It’s probably your moth —”

This example illustrates how instances of but can be reduced by deletion. Seven occurrences have been trimmed to two: in dialogue, where rules about repetition become less important. Even so, the conversation here comes across better with most of the repetitions removed.

Story prompt: Who does that voice belong to, and why are Ron and Edwina arguing?

What’s Happening to Arnold?

Arnold’s lips trembled. Nearly a century had crept by, but he would never forget the day he lost Anna. He tried to calm himself, but anxiety battered his thumping heart, which beat faster every moment. His lungs screamed for air, but nothing could get past the spasms in his throat.

He clutched his chest and reached for his cell phone but couldn’t force his fingers to cooperate. He slumped to the floor.

Arnold had always feared death, but as Anna’s face floated before his eyes, a wave of warmth and peace enveloped him. “Anna,” he said, “where have you been?”

Can we replace all instances of but ?

Arnold’s lips trembled. Nearly a century had crept by. However , he would never forget the day he lost Anna. He tried to calm himself. Even so , anxiety battered his thumping heart, which beat faster every moment. His lungs screamed for air, yet nothing could get past the spasms in his throat.

He clutched his chest and reached for his cell phone, although he couldn’t force his fingers to cooperate. He slumped to the floor.

Arnold had always feared death. In spite of that , as Anna’s face floated before his eyes, a wave of warmth and peace enveloped him. “Anna,” he said, “where have you been?”

Did the edited version unsettle you because your brain wanted to think but every time you encountered a substitute? Teaching point: Direct replacements for but function best if limited.

Let’s try a combination edit that relies on both deletion and replacement:

Arnold’s lips trembled. Nearly a century had crept by, yet he would never forget the day he lost Anna. He tried to calm the anxiety battering his thumping heart, which beat faster every moment. His lungs screamed for air — air that couldn’t get past the spasms in his throat.

He clutched his chest. Reached for his cell phone with fingers that refused to cooperate. He slumped to the floor.

Arnold had always feared death. Why? A wave of warmth and peace enveloped him as Anna’s face floated before his eyes. “Anna,” he said, “where have you been?”

One direct replacement for but remains. Rewording removes the rest.

Sometimes But Is the Better Alternative

Analyze this statement from a man arguing with a buddy in a truck-stop café:

“He avows that he’s ‘very, very intelligent.’ That being said , his actions contradict his words.”

This snippet might suit a news commentator or a political scientist, but not a stereotypical trucker.

How about this instead?

“He says he’s ‘very, very intelligent,’ but actions speak louder than words.”

The long-winded but replacement is scratched, one verb is replaced, and a cliché is added.

Takeaway: Don’t slash every occurrence of any word. Analyze each instance.

Direct Replacements For But

Explore rewording before you consult this list. Then, if you opt for alternatives, choose with care. Modern fiction novelists might make different choices than period fiction writers would.

A albeit, all the same, alternatively, although, anyhow, apart from that, aside from that, at any rate, at the other end of the scale, at the same time, at variance with that, au contraire

B to D bar, barring, barring that, be that as it may, besides, brushing that aside, by contrast, contrariwise, conversely, despite that, discounting that, disregarding that

E and F even if, even so, even supposing that, even with that, except, except that, excepting, excepting that, excluding that, for all that, forgetting that

H and I having said that, howbeit, however, ignoring that, in any case, in any event, in consideration of that, in spite of that, in the face of that, inversely

J to N just the same, leaving that behind, letting that pass, more to the point, nevertheless, nonetheless, not considering that, not taking that into consideration, notwithstanding

O on the contrary, on the other hand, on the other side of the coin, other than that, overlooking that

P to S passing over that, paying no attention to that, paying no heed to that, paying that no mind, per contra, regardless, save, skipping over that, still, still and all

T to Y that being said, that said, then again, though, undeterred by that, vice versa, what’s more, whereas, with that said, with the exception of, without regard to, yet

Red-Pencil Time

Can you edit away all or most instances of but in the following exercises?

Trevor stamped his feet . “ But I don’t wanna go, Mummy. And you can’t make me can’t make me can’t make me.”

Brittney bit her lip, attempting to contain her anger, but she couldn’t prevent the sharpness that edged into her voice. “Yes, I can. You’ve already missed two days of school, but there’s nothing wrong with you.”

“ But I’m hot and my stomach hurts and my throat is sore. … And … and … I can’t find my homework.”

“You mean the homework you didn’t do because you were too busy playing video games?”

He squeezed out a solitary tear.

But his mom didn’t fall for it. Trevor could produce tears better than any Hollywood actor. “Ten minutes. You be ready in ten minutes or you’re grounded for ten days. No video games. No TV. No dessert.”

Suggested solution

Trevor stamped his feet. “ But I don’t wanna go, Mummy. And you can’t make me can’t make me can’t make me.”

Although Brittney bit her lip in an attempt to contain her anger, she couldn’t prevent the sharpness that edged into her voice. “Yes, I can. You’ve already missed two days of school, and there’s nothing wrong with you.”

However, his mom didn’t fall for it. Trevor could produce tears better than any Hollywood actor. “Ten minutes. You be ready in ten minutes or you’re grounded for ten days. No video games. No TV. No dessert.”

Notes: For the sake of realism, Trevor’s dialogue is untouched . Brittney’s single but is replaced by and. Although and however also make guest appearances.

Louis scanned the heads in the crowd. Everyone but Darlene had shown up for the party. He tried to ignore the disappointment in the pit of his stomach, but it gnawed at him so much that he pulled his phone from his pocket. He stared at the screen. If I call her, she’ll think I’m needy. But if I don’t call her, she’ll think I don’t care.

He tapped his FAVORITES button, but an incoming call interrupted him before he was able to bring up her number. Another unknown caller? That’s the third in less than ten minutes. But against his strict policy to ignore telemarketers and strangers, he answered.

A voice crackled in his ear . “Louis? Is that you? I’ve been trying to reach you, but your phone keeps going to voicemail.”

“Darlene! Where are you? And why isn’t your number showing up?”

“It’s a burner. But I can’t explain right now. Meet me at my place in ten minutes.”

“Ten minutes.”

The line went dead.

Louis scanned the heads in the crowd. Everyone except Darlene had shown up for the party. Despite his efforts to ignore the disappointment in the pit of his stomach, it gnawed at him so much that he pulled his phone from his pocket. He stared at the screen. If I call her, she’ll think I’m needy. But if I don’t call her, she’ll think I don’t care.

He tapped his FAVORITES button —

An incoming call interrupted him before he was able to bring up her number. Another unknown caller? That’s the third in less than ten minutes. Against his strict policy to ignore telemarketers and strangers, he answered.

A voice crackled in his ear. “Louis, is that you? I’ve been trying to reach you, but your phone keeps going to voicemail.”

“It’s a burner. I can’t explain right now. Meet me at my place in ten minutes.”

Notes: Everyone but Darlene becomes everyone except Darlene. The second sentence is reworded to remove but. To preserve a feeling of reality, Louis’s internal monologue isn’t altered. An em dash and new paragraph show the interruption of his attempt to bring up Darlene’s number. But against is changed to against. Darlene’s first words are left as is, although to amp the pace, but is removed from her second bit of dialogue. Louis’s final but remains as well.

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15 thoughts on “ 80+ Alternatives for “But”: A Word List for Writers ”

Hello Kathy. I plan on doing a review for The Writer’s Lexicon. I love it. It sits on my desk and the pages are already showing signs of wear (in one week). 😉 Thanks again for all you do.

Thanks, Robyn. I’m glad you find it helpful. 🙂

Do you have any words/phrases/concepts you’d like me to tackle?

YES! Can you go more in-depth with WAS? In your book, you cover to go but (oops, :-)) was is my sticky wicket. PLEASE. Thank you, Kathy.

How about this one, Robyn?

100 Ways to Avoid “To Be” Verbs in Writing .

It begins on page 237 of The Writer’s Lexicon print edition.

I was reading the chapter when I noticed your reply. OR I read the chapter as your reply zoomed in. I love that but (ugh, two baddies) I confess to skimming the chapter. Maybe I didn’t want to see the bad news on my favorite passive verb. Ha.

When I write in rhyme I am mindful of past tense words being unstressed where the present tense is stressed. Writing is so hard. Maybe that’s why it’s so worth it?

As is another stickler for me.

As as in at the same time or as in because or …?

Try https://kathysteinemann.com/Musings/because/

And I’ll be posting something in a week or two that covers like similes. The replacements there would work for many instances of as .

Oh yes, writing is worth the effort. Painting the page with words is an art form that goes from the finger-painting beginner who splatters words about, to the master who weighs each one to decide whether it’s worthy of inclusion.

Thanks Kathy. Now I’m an old-hand at writing, and having been involved in proof-reading and editing, I can afford to smile at some of my old faux pas. It’s amazing how little thought some writers put into their work. Now, more than ever, with the literary scene bulging at the seams…authors should pay more heed to the words they put into print.

Thanks, Joy.

Some of the most popular authors commit faux pas, but we love their writing so much that we ignore minor glitches. Grammatically correct narrative doesn’t count for much unless the story pulls us in. However, a great story full of distractions can result in lost readers.

We toe across a tightrope every time we write, seeking a balance, breaking the rules if necessary, to create (we hope?) a masterpiece.

Hi Kathy, if you stick a ‘Twitter’ share button on here, I can pass the post info to my 20k followers there and probably gain your site more visitors.

Done, Stuart. Thanks for the plugs!

And shared!

Thanks, i loved it. The alpha list is a touch of genius. I now have a new shooter to use in my next game of marbels. Please keep up the good work. Chuck

Thanks for stopping by, Allan.

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What can I use instead of "but" and "however"?

I just noticed I tend to use "but" and 'however" in almost every paragraph.

Examples (all of them are from the same story):

I almost let everything out. But , funny, I didn't. I didn't want him to feel bad. Which made me wonder if maybe I enjoyed punishing myself. But what for? This was the first time we were going to be apart for so long. Two months wasn't a big deal for most people. But for me, it was an endless torture. But as I stood there, watching the bus disappear down the street, I reminded myself that it wasn't so bad. That we would still see each other on weekends. Li was holding me from behind. I liked to sit like that—feeling his warmth on my back, and his moist breath on my neck. It made me feel protected, at ease. As though nothing in the world could hurt me. However , that day, something disturbed that feeling. I wanted to cry. I wanted to shout at him, tell him that I was already here. However , I knew I couldn't protest. It was my fault, after all. I had come too early, and he probably thought I was still in Nantou.

Is their use justifiable? Or should I use something else instead?

• creative-writing
• word-choice

• Honestly, I don't see the problem with many of the uses in your example. The first example reads well. In the second I would remove the first "but." The third and fourth read fine. –  Chris Commented Jan 19, 2014 at 1:27
• I had a therapist who suggested that, as I talked to her, I replace "but" with "and." It frequently worked! "But" sets up the upcoming statement in opposition to the first, and "and" doesn't do that. (See what I did there?) –  Ken Mohnkern Commented May 11, 2015 at 18:11

6 Answers 6

There are many synonyms to but . For the meaning you are pointing out in your question, some of them would be still, nevertheless, nonetheless, though, although, and yet . You can find these and the ones for the other meanings in any site with synonyms lookup function, such as Thesaurus ("but" synonyms) .

However , it should be noted that it can be counterproductive to sprinkle your story with synonyms of a common word just for the sake of non-repetition. Just as it happens with the word "said": Many people think you should not abuse of "said" synonyms in dialog tags (see The Use and Abuse of Dialogue Tags , for example), because it "draws [the readers'] attention away from the dialogue and yank them out of the story". Same can happen with but . The abundance of random synonyms might rather obstruct the reading experience.

If you want to show two ideas are opposed, there can be workarounds, thinking outside the box. Some times these ideas are not inherently opposed (in your first example, "Funny enough, I didn't"); some other times, the causal relationship can be implied (in your fourth example, just removing it would keep the meaning: "As I stood there..."); and some other times, it can be necessary (the rest of your examples fall in this category, in my opinion).

To finish, a workaround example, one that I don't pretend to be substitutive nor better, just to explain the idea:

I wanted to cry. I wanted to shout at him, tell him that I was already here. As I opened my mouth, I realized I couldn't protest. It was my fault, after all.

But is a conjunction that has a specific place and a specific meaning. It strikes me that your issue isn't so much with overusing the word "but" but* with using repetitive sentence structure. Please note, for instance, that you really, really aren't supposed to start a sentence with a conjunction because the whole point of a conjunction is to link two items together "I like coffee and tea." "I like coffee but I don't like tea." "I would like coffee or tea."

That isn't to say that you can't ever break this rule, but as with all grammatical rules, there are consequences. I think the primary consequence of breaking the "no conjunctions at the beginning of a sentence" rule is that it looks like you or your character finished a thought and then remembered they wanted to add something else. If you use it all the time, well... your viewpoint will sound like they're very, very confused. If that's what you're going for, don't worry about the overuse of "but" at all. If you're looking for normal, free-flowing prose, at least consider grammar.

*Note: I just typed but but.

Honestly, I don't see the problem with many of the uses in your example. The first example reads well. In the second I would remove the first "but." The third and fourth sound fine to my ears.

I second the advice that too much variety is potentially more distracting than the repetition.

Like Chris I don't see a problem and would only have deleted the first "but" in the second text snippet.

You must understand that "but" is something like the 23rd most frequent word in English ( http://www.wordfrequency.info/free.asp?s=y ). It would be uncommon, if it did not appear often.

If you want, you can use this online service to calculate word frequencies for your own text: http://darylkinsman.ca/tools/wordfreq.shtml I just input my last novel and found that "but" was the 23rd most frequent word with 316 instances (of 50038) at 0.6%. If an analysis of your test shows significantly higher percentages (maybe more than 1%), you can start to worry.

What can I use instead of “but” and “however”?

Without further ado, here are the possibilities.

OTOH, on the contrary, otherwise, yet, even though, though ... still, rather, unexpectedly, despite, in spite of, ...

He is a good hire. I love his honesty, but his honesty could lead us into trouble. We should hire him. I love his honesty. On the other hand, his honesty could lead us into trouble.

The new medicine is giving people a lot of hope, but it is dangerous hope as it is not well tested yet. I do not agree with the new medicine that is giving people a lot of hope. On the contrary, I feel it is dangerous as it is not well tested yet.

The govt is not interested in people becoming rich, but they would want you to pay your taxes. The govt is not interested in people becoming rich. Rather, they would want you to pay your taxes.

The sky was clear and the weather was mild, but then it there was a thunderstorm and it started to rain. The sky was clear and the weather was mild. Unexpectedly, there was a thunderstorm and it started to rain.

She was born with debilitating condition, but she was successful in becoming a doctor. Even though she was born with debilitating condition, she was successful in becoming a doctor. Though she was born with debilitating condition, she was successful in becoming a doctor still. She was born with debilitating condition, yet she was successful in becoming a doctor. She persevered towards her success in becoming a doctor, otherwise she would have wallowed in her congenital debilitating condition. She persevered towards her success in becoming a doctor, despite her congenital debilitating condition. In spite of her being born with a debilitating condition, she was successful in becoming a doctor.

In addition to the other good answers, "but ..." is a negation or restriction of the thing or condition it refers to. It "takes away" from it. It also breaks the flow of thought/action (which is fine when it's on purpose.)

Many people use this in speech and writing all the time as a matter of habit, even when it's not really necessary or appropriate. A lot of the time two ideas are just in sequence and could simply be stated or even joined with "and".

Your second example shows both (as possibilities - not as I'm right/you're wrong!)

For me, it was an endless torture. As I stood there, watching the bus disappear down the street, I reminded myself that it wasn't so bad. For me, it was an endless torture and as I stood there, watching the bus disappear down the street, I reminded myself that it wasn't so bad.

There's a whole study called Conscious Languaging which teaches people to reduce or eliminate such usages because it can be a form of self sabotage.

On the flip side of this, using "but" can help convey uncertainty, hesitation, low self esteem, or intentional negating of the subject.

Garrison Keillor (in his A Prairie Home Companion radio show) uses this to great effect with his Norwegian bachelor farmers' "Yuh,but ...", where they have a reason why almost anything good won't work out - which serves mainly as a reflection on their state of mind rather than on the subject itself.

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You Don’t Always Have To Use “But”

• What Does But Mean?
• Alternatives Of Contrast
• Alternatives Of Exception
• Change The Sentence
• Try Grammar Coach

The word but is a useful word that often ominously precedes a lot of bad news or tough criticism. But is a word that appears in many of our sentences and is one of the most commonly used words in the English language. But –and this is a big but –we might be overusing the word just a bit. It makes sense why we would overlay on but ; after all, it is a short little word that can easily connect sentences together. However, there are so many other words and phrases that sadly aren’t getting to shine with but hogging all the spotlight. The word but may not like it, but it is time for but to butt out and let someone else slip into our sentences for a little while.

What does but mean, and why do we use it so much?

The word but is often used in two major ways: to express a contrast or to express an exception. The sentence Jenny is tall, but her parents are short is an example of but used to show contrast; Jenny’s height is totally different from her parents’. The sentence Everyone but Rahul was right-handed shows how but is used to express exception; Rahul is the only left-handed person, which makes him unique from everybody else.

In addition to having these two very common uses, the word but is also one of the seven coordinating conjunctions . In short, coordinating conjunctions allow us to easily connect independent sentences by simply using a comma. For example, we can combine the two shorter sentences Rabbits are fast and Turtles are slow into the larger sentence Rabbits are fast, but turtles are slow . This is a fairly easy way of combining sentences, so we often rely on but to join sentences together.

That isn’t all, though. Besides its big job as a conjunction, but can also be used as a preposition as in We tried everything but the kitchen sink or as an adverb as in There is but one road that leads to safety . With how versatile and useful the word but is, it is no wonder that we might overwork it sometimes!

✏️ Examples of but in sentences

The following examples show some of the different ways we often use but in sentences:

• I thought the book was really boring, but everyone else liked it.
• Nobody but Camila was able to last more than five minutes in the cold water.
• We could do nothing but stare in horror as the sandcastle collapsed.
• She knew of only but one way to calm the crowd: Karaoke!

Alternatives of contrast

The first major way we use but is to show contrast, contradiction, or opposition. Luckily for us, there are plenty of other words we can use to show relationships like these. In fact, we can find one among but ’s coordinating conjunction friends in the word yet . Because yet is also a coordinating conjunction, we can swap it in for but without even needing to change the sentence. For example:

•  We need a new car, but we can’t afford one. •  We need a new car, yet we can’t afford one.

While yet is an easy substitution for but to mean contrast, it isn’t the only option. Some other useful words and phrases that can fill in this role include:

•  although, despite, however, nevertheless, nonetheless, notwithstanding, still, though, even though, on the other hand

Typically, we can use one of the above words/phrases in place of but while only making small changes to our sentences and without changing the sentence’s meaning. For example:

•  The flight is on Saturday, but it might be delayed because of snow. •  The flight is on Saturday. However , it might be delayed because of snow.

Put some fun into your language by using these alternatives to fun .

Make the swap

The following pairs of sentences show how we can express a contrast by first using but and then by swapping it out for a similar word. Notice that the new sentences still express the same meaning.

•  The painting looks great, but something is still missing. •  The painting looks great, yet something is still missing.

•  The soldiers were heavily outnumbered, but they stood their ground anyway. •  The soldiers were heavily outnumbered. Nevertheless , they stood their ground anyway.

•  Jessie and James act mean, but they are good people at heart. •  Jessie and James act mean. Still , they are good people at heart.

Alternatives of exception

The second major way that we use but is to express an exception. Again, we have a variety of different words and phrases with the same meaning that we can use to give but a break. Some of these words include:

•  except, barring, save, without, excluding, minus, disregarding, omitting, aside from, not including, other than, apart from, leaving out

Most of the time, we can even substitute one of these words/phrases into a sentence without needing to change anything else. For example:

•  Every student but Ryan enjoys basketball. •  Every student except Ryan enjoys basketball.

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The following pairs of sentences show how we can state exceptions by first using but and then swapping it out for a similar word or phrase. Take note that the meaning of the sentence doesn’t change.

•  All the animals but the tigers are sleeping. •  All the animals apart from the tigers are sleeping.

•  I like all flavors of ice cream but mint. •  I like all flavors of ice cream other than mint.

•  Every guard was loyal but one. •  Every guard was loyal, save one.

You can review all these alternatives in our word list here.

Change the sentence

It might be the case that the word but is just not the word we were looking for. In that case, we may need to take more drastic action and really change up a sentence. We might exchange but for a different word that alters the meaning of the sentence or even rewrite our sentences entirely.

Sometimes, we may want to frame our sentence in a way in which we don’t put two things in opposition or contrast, even if they are different. For example, we may just want to present two different options or state two different but equally important opinions.

Whatever our reasons, we have several different ways we could get but out of the sentence. The simplest way, which often won’t involve changing a sentence too much, is to swap out but for one of the other coordinating conjunctions. For example:

•  I like dogs, but I don’t like cats. (Two opposing thoughts.) •  I like dogs, and I don’t like cats. (Two equal, different thoughts.)

•  She might win big, but she might lose it all. (Two contrasting thoughts.) •  She might win big, or she might lose it all. (Two alternative outcomes.)

If we can’t use a different coordinating conjunction, we will often need to make more significant changes to our sentences in order to follow proper grammar. So, we might use a subordinating conjunction or split our clauses apart into separate sentences. For example:

•  We wanted to go to the beach, but it rained all day. •  We didn’t go to the beach because it rained all day.

•  Keith needed new shoes, but he couldn’t afford them. •  Keith needed new shoes. However , he couldn’t afford them.

Let’s look at different ways we can take but out of a sentence. You’ll notice that some of the sentences will change their grammar or even their meaning after but is replaced.

•  Jason lives at Camp Crystal Lake, but he doesn’t work there. •  Jason lives at Camp Crystal Lake, and he doesn’t work there.

•  She wants a new pony, but only if she can name it Pinkie Pie. •  She wants a new pony under the condition that she can name it Pinkie Pie.

•  I didn’t practice much, but I won the game anyway. •  Despite the fact that I didn’t practice much, I won the game anyway.

Write a better sentence with Grammar Coach™

Need synonyms for overused words? The Thesaurus.com Grammar Coach ™ platform makes writing papers, essays, emails, and a whole lot more a whole lot easier. This writing tool uses machine-learning technology uniquely designed to catch grammar as well as spelling errors. Its Synonym Swap will find the best nouns, adjectives, and more to help say what you really mean, guiding you toward clearer, stronger, writing.

How do you avoid the word "avoid"? By using these synonyms.

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