In Spite v/s Despite: I always found them similar & often used them interchangeably. But, it was not until a few months ago, I understood their correct usage. So, I decided to convey my knowledge to you through this little article.
In spite of and Despite are two prepositions with the same meaning and usage. Unknowingly, we use both of them while talking or even writing.
There is no difference between the meanings of the prepositions In Spite of & Despite of.
For example:
I enjoyed the journey despite being busy with work.
Or I enjoyed the journey in spite of being busy with work.
If you stop for a second and think about these two prepositions, you might be able to figure out the similarity in them, but the explanation can be tacky.
Despite meaning is entirely similar to in spite of, but you must have perceived more usage of despite as compared to in spite of. That’s because, despite is just one word, and sounds more formal.
| CONTENTS: Meaning of “despite of” Meaning of “in spite of“ Is ‘Despite of’ wrong? That-clause with despite and in spite of What is the difference between “despite” and “in spite of”? When and how to use ” In spite “and “despite”? Can “in spite of” and “despite” be used interchangeably? |
Meaning of “despite of”
If you were to use ‘of’ with ‘despite’, it would be incorrect. ‘of’ is only used correctly with ‘ in spite’. If stated, despite is used to express that something occurs, although something else might have prevented it.
Grammatically, we use a noun or a pronoun after despite.
Despite: other words are ‘Even though’, ‘notwithstanding’, ‘or regardless of’.
For instance:
Shally failed the examination despite of the hard work. (Incorrect)
Shally failed the examination despite the hard work.
Also read: POSTPONE TO, FOR, TILL, UNTIL AFTER, BY, OR UNTIL LATER?
Meaning of “in spite of“
In spite of means, the same as despite. To understand better, you can think of it as the opposite of ‘because of/due to’ such as
Liza went shopping in spite of the rain.
Here it means, it was raining and Liza still went out shopping.
Liza went shopping because of the rain.
Here it means, Rain was the reason for Liza to go shopping which is incorrect.
In spite of synonyms are “even though”, ”notwithstanding,” or “regardless of”. While we make sentences with “in spite of”, we use nouns or a gerund, mostly after the word.
For example:
Kavya drove the car in spite of his leg problem. (car is the noun).
Is ‘Despite of’ wrong?
When we say despite of, it’s incorrect in grammar. We never use ‘of’ with despite. In fact, usage of the preposition ‘of’ is the only difference between in spite of and despite.
Examples:
Despite the bad weather, the players continued the match. (Correct)
Despite of the bad weather, the players continued the match. (Incorrect)
That-clause with despite and in spite of
That clause cannot be used directly with despite and in spite of. So, we cannot say ‘in spite of that’. To make a sentence with despite and in spite of, we use the expression fact.
Example:
In spite of the fact that he studied very less, he still passed the exam.
Or
Despite the fact that he studied very less, he still passed the exam.
If we make despite and in spite of clause with that we are bound to use the word fact. So, the sentences with direct usage of that clause are incorrect.
Example:
In spite of that he worked all night, he still couldn’t complete his work.
Or
Despite that he worked all night, he still couldn’t complete his work.
What is the difference between “despite” and “in spite of”?
If you look at the in spite of definition, it’s similar to despite.
The only in spite of and despite of difference is the use of the preposition ‘of’ with in spite and despite. We never use ‘of’ with ‘despite’, it is grammatically incorrect.
For example:
She couldn’t win the medal in spite of all her efforts.
Or
She couldn’t win the medal despite of all her efforts. (despite of is incorrect)
Instead,
She couldn’t win the medal despite all her efforts. (correct)
When and how to use ” In spite “and “despite”?
Just like similar meanings, the usage of both prepositions is the same. But, remember ‘in spite’ is two words, so we never write inspite.
We can read some examples to understand the different uses of both prepositions.
Despite all odds against them, they still won the game.
In spite of all odds against them, they still won the game.
Or
Despite being an asthma patient, Ron went trekking.
In spite of being an asthma patient, Ron went trekking.
Or
She won the science olympiad in spite of being dull.
She won the science olympiad despite being dull.
Or
In spite of being intelligent, she failed the exam.
Despite being intelligent, she failed the exam.
Can “in spite of” and “despite” be used interchangeably?
After reading so many examples, you must have understood the similarity in their meaning, which means they can be used interchangeably.
Such as
In spite of the busy schedule, Rahul visited his grandparents.
Despite the busy schedule, Rahul visited his grandparents.
If you notice in the above example we have interchanged the prepositions and the meaning remains the same.
Some other examples are:
In spite of the complex sentence, she could read it accurately.
In spite of everything planned, they had to cancel their trip.
In both the examples, try replacing ‘in spite of’ with’ despite’ and see.
