Famous v. Popular
2022-07-23
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1Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question from Mohammadreza from Iran about the difference between "famous" and "popular."
2Dear VOA teachers,
3Would you please let us know difference between the words "popular" and "famous," and how to use them in our day-to-day speech?
4Thanks,
5Mohammadreza
6Dear Mohammadreza,
7Thanks for writing to us and asking this question.
8Famous and popular are both adjectives.
9The words may seem similar, but their meanings are very different.
10Let's start with famous.
11"Famous" means known or recognized by many people. We often use the word when describing people.
12For example, movie actors, singers and professional athletes can be described as famous.
13For example: Taylor Swift is a famous singer-songwriter.
14Some famous people are known to people around the world. Others may be famous in their home country.
15Places can be famous, too. For example, the Eiffel Tower in France and the pyramids in Egypt are very famous.
16Now let's talk about popular. "Popular" means liked or enjoyed by many people.
17One way we use "popular" is to talk about trends like "popular fashion" or "popular styles."
18For example:
19The bucket hat was a popular trend in the 1990s, and now younger generations are wearing it again today.
20We also use popular to talk about people.
21For example, there are "popular students" at school.
22These people are generally well-liked by people in their class.
23They are not famous, though. People outside of the school probably do not know who they are.
24Places can also be described as popular. If we describe a place as popular, we mean a lot of people like to go there.
25"Famous" and "popular" mean different things.
26Just because someone is popular does not mean the person is famous.
27And some famous people might not be especially popular.
28Let us compare these two examples:
29This restaurant is famous.
30In this example, we are saying that many people know about this restaurant.
31Maybe it has become known for a special kind of food it serves.
32Maybe it appeared on a television show.
33This restaurant is popular.
34In this example, we are saying that many people go to the restaurant.
35But it may just be the local population that knows about it.
36Please let us know if these examples and explanations have helped you, Mohammedreza!
37What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com
38And that's Ask a Teacher.
39I'm Faith Pirlo.
1Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question from Mohammadreza from Iran about the difference between "famous" and "popular." 2Question: 3Dear VOA teachers, 4Would you please let us know difference between the words "popular" and "famous," and how to use them in our day-to-day speech? 5Thanks, 6Mohammadreza 7Answer: 8Dear Mohammadreza, 9Thanks for writing to us and asking this question. 10Famous and popular are both adjectives. The words may seem similar, but their meanings are very different. 11Let's start with famous. 12Famous 13"Famous" means known or recognized by many people. We often use the word when describing people. 14For example, movie actors, singers and professional athletes can be described as famous. 15For example: Taylor Swift is a famous singer-songwriter. 16Some famous people are known to people around the world. Others may be famous in their home country. 17Places can be famous, too. For example, the Eiffel Tower in France and the pyramids in Egypt are very famous. 18Popular 19Now let's talk about popular. "Popular" means liked or enjoyed by many people. 20One way we use "popular" is to talk about trends like "popular fashion" or "popular styles." 21For example: 22The bucket hat was a popular trend in the 1990s, and now younger generations are wearing it again today. 23We also use popular to talk about people. For example, there are "popular students" at school. These people are generally well-liked by people in their class. They are not famous, though. People outside of the school probably do not know who they are. 24Places can also be described as popular. If we describe a place as popular, we mean a lot of people like to go there. 25The difference 26"Famous" and "popular" mean different things. Just because someone is popular does not mean the person is famous. And some famous people might not be especially popular. 27Let us compare these two examples: 28This restaurant is famous. 29In this example, we are saying that many people know about this restaurant. Maybe it has become known for a special kind of food it serves. Maybe it appeared on a television show. 30This restaurant is popular. 31In this example, we are saying that many people go to the restaurant. But it may just be the local population that knows about it. 32Please let us know if these examples and explanations have helped you, Mohammedreza! 33What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com 34And that's Ask a Teacher. 35I'm Faith Pirlo. 36Faith Pirlo wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. 37________________________________________________________________ 38Words in This Story 39athlete - n. a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina 40fashion - n. a popular way of dressing during a particular time or among a particular group of people 41style - n. a method, manner, or quality that is felt to be very respectable, fashionable, or proper 42________________________________________________________________ 43Do you have a question for the teacher? We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: 44Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.