LoginConvince vs. Persuade
Have you ever wondered about these two verbs? Well, in this lesson, I'm gonna tell you about the little details of each of them.
What Is Their Main Difference?
Both of these words refer to making someone do something. However, 'convince' refers to making someone believe something, whereas, 'persuade' indicates that we make someone do something, which is usually done through conflicts and reasoning.
Differences
'Convince' and 'persuade' both refer to making someone change their beliefs or actions. However, 'convince' mainly focuses on the mind. In other words, we use convince when we want to change someone's belief. Look:
I was finally able to
How did she manage to
When we use 'persuade', we try to make someone take action. It is usually done by providing reasons or arguing with them. Look at the following examples:
Now, let's discuss how we can
In the end, she couldn't
Similarities
Their only similarity is that they both refer to changing someone, either their attitude or their action. Examine the following examples:
I was
Are They Interchangeable?
It is recommended not to use them interchangeably because the listener might get confused. In a context where we want someone to change their attitude, we 'convince' them, whereas, we 'persuade' someone to change their belif. Compare:
The professor wasn't
The professor wasn't
Here, the sentence is not wrong but 'convinced' better suits it.
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