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Alternate vs. alternative?

Alternate vs. Alternative (Correct Usage, + Examples)

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Dalia Y

BA, MA, Phil. Grammarflex's initial initiator and contributor.

How should you use alternate and alternative? These words are not always interchangeable, though their meanings overlap.

Alternate & Alternative

Alternative and alternate can both be adjectives or nouns.

  • Alternate means every other one in a series; e.g., if something happens on alternate days, nights, etc., it happens on one day but not on the next.
  • An alternative refers to one of two possibilities, or something “that you can choose to do or have out of two or more possibilities”.

As adjectives, both can be used to refer to something that can be used instead of something else, or as a substitute, but only “alternative” has the aspect of choice.

👍🏼Usage Note

✓ Correct example with alternate. (Every other option in a sequence.)
✓ Another correct example with alternative. (A different choice.)
✗ Incorrect example with alternate route. (Should be “alternative route”.)
✗ Another incorrect example with alternative days. (Should be “alternate days”.)

How to use alternate vs. alternative

Compare how both words appear in the sentence (from Strunk & White’s TEOS).

As the flooded road left them no alternative, they took the alternate route.

We could replace the word “alternative” in the above sentence with “other choice”.

“Alternate” / “alternative”, used in sentences

Examples: “alternate”, used in sentences
Stretch up 30 times with alternate arms as a warm-up exercise.

John has to work on alternate Sundays.

The ferry service will initially run on alternate days, increasing eventually to daily sailings.
Examples: “alternative”, used in sentences
The road was closed, so we had to find an alternative route.

Can you offer an alternative explanation?

The car is too expensive, so we’re trying to find a cheaper alternative.

There is a vegetarian alternative on the menu every day.
💡Study Tip

Practice using the verb in different tenses with example sentences to memorize the correct forms.

Alternate, synonyms

As a verb:

  • alter
  • intersperse
  • rotate
  • vary
  • waver

As an adjective:

  • double
  • equivalent
  • fill in
  • stand-in

Alternative, synonyms

As an adjective:

As a noun:

  • opportunity
  • option
  • substitute

Word origin (of alternate/alternative)

Late 14c., “to change (something), make different in some way,” from Old French alterer “to change, alter,” from Medieval Latin alterare “to change,” from Latin alter “the other (of the two),” from PIE root *al- (1) “beyond” + comparative suffix -ter (as in other).

1580s, “offering one or the other of two,” from Medieval Latin alternativus, from Latin alternatus, past participle of alternare “do one thing and then another, do by turns,” from alternus “one after the other, alternate, in turns, reciprocal,” from alter “the other” (see alter).

Read about other misused words

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former vs. latter burned or burnt?
bear with vs. bare with color or colour?
breathe or breath favorite vs. favourite
compliment vs. complement smelled or smelt?
effect vs. affect gray or grey?
elude or allude favor vs. favour
it’s or its analyze or analyse?

Worksheet

Question 1 of 10

Which is grammatically correct?




What makes a sentence grammatically correct?




Question 3: What is the main focus of this grammar content?




Question 4: Which is most important for proper grammar?




Question 5: Grammar rules help with:




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Question 8: Grammar rules help with:




Question 9: What is the main focus of this grammar content?




Question 10: Which is most important for proper grammar?




Which aspect is most important when learning grammar?

How can you improve your grammar skills?



Frequently Asked Questions

What are literary devices?
+

Techniques writers use to enhance their writing and convey messages effectively.

How do literary devices differ from rhetorical devices?
+

Literary devices are specific to creative writing, while rhetorical devices are broader.

Why should I learn about literary devices?
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They help you understand and appreciate literature more deeply.

Can I use literary devices in my own writing?
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Yes, they can make your writing more engaging and effective.

What’s the best way to remember different devices?
+

Practice identifying them in texts you read regularly.

Sources

  1. Oxford Learner’s Dictionary on “alternate” and “alternative”. Accessed 23 March 2024. Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of alternative.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/alternative. Accessed 27 March 2024.

Grammar Expert. "Alternate Vs Alternative Correct Usage Examples." GrammarFlex, May 31, 2025, https://www.grammarflex.com/alternate-vs-alternative-correct-usage-examples/.

👍🏼Usage Note

✓ Correct example with alternate. (Every other option in a sequence.)
✓ Another correct example with alternative. (A different choice.)
✗ Incorrect example with alternate route. (Should be “alternative route”.)
✗ Another incorrect example with alternative days. (Should be “alternate days”.)

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