Prepositions Entry 22 / 1011 60-second read

About vs. Around (approximation)

Both mean approximately, but 'around' can also mean surrounding.

The comparisoni

✗ Wrong

It costs around $50.

✓ Correct

It costs about $50.

The ruleii

About = APPROXIMATELY (about 5 people).

'About' is standard for approximation, 'around' can be ambiguous.

Memory aidiii

Remember it like this

About = APPROXIMATELY (about 5 people). Around = SURROUNDING or APPROXIMATELY.

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