Half Brother vs. Stepbrother 

"Half Brother" vs "Stepbrother" in English

What Is Their Main Difference?

In a family, both are brothers. However, a 'half brother' is one that is somehow blood-related. In other words, a 'halfbrother' shares the same mother or father as the other person. A 'stepbrother', on the other hand, is one that has stepparents.

Differences

As stated above, a 'half brother' mainly refers to someone who is a family member and is blood-related. One of our parents is the same as that our 'half brother'. Look at the examples below:

Example

Parents need to know the difference between a 'half brother' and a 'stepbrother'.

I never knew I had a half brother.

A 'stepbrother', on the other hand, is one that has different parents. However, when one person's mother marries another person's father or vice versa, their sons will be 'stepbrothers'. Check out the examples below:

Example

My nerve-wrecking stepbrother is the main reason I don't wanna go home.

Did you know Madonna had a stepbrother?

Similarities

Both refer to the son of two people that is the brother in the family. Take a look below:

Example

Introducing a stepbrother to you daughter is not an easy thing to do.

Does anyone here have a half brother?

Are They Interchangeable?

Although they are both used in the same context, they cannot be used interchangeably because a 'half brother' is one that is blood-related, whereas, a 'stepbrother' is not. Both examples are correct below, but they have different meanings. Compare:

Example

✓ She has just found out about her half brother.

✓ She has just found out about her stepbrother.

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