difficult to understand between

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "difficult to understand between" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It may be intended to express confusion or complexity in understanding something that involves multiple parties or concepts, but it lacks clarity. Example: "The instructions were difficult to understand between the various technical terms used."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

For all the charges that the Constitution was difficult to understand, between 1789 and 1860 only one state, California, required that it be taught in school.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Few studies conducted in developing countries focused on CAMHP protective factors, making it difficult to understand differences between countries.

BMC Psychiatry

Event-based models, however, are fragmented, which makes it difficult to understand the dependencies between components.

Data & Knowledge Engineering

It was also difficult to understand Thomas' struggle between Teresa and Brenda at some points because it was not explored very deeply.

The Guardian

Afterward, Mills told me that "middle-schoolers find it surprisingly difficult to understand the correlation between a numerical value and a physical movement".

The New Yorker

"For your average fisherman, who feels very insignificant in front of God, they are finding it difficult to understand the connection between climate change and human activity," he told me.

The New York Times - Magazine

However, our knowledge of the generation of electric fields in these configurations still remains incomplete, and this makes it difficult to understand the relationship between magnetic reconnection and the acceleration of energetic particles.

Advances in Space Research

Unfortunately, because the terms ethnicity and nation both evoke multiple meanings, it is difficult to understand the relationship between these two categories.

Johns Hopkins University

It is important, yet difficult to understand the relationship between the structure of chemical compounds, their physico-chemical properties, and biological or toxic effects.

Journal of Cheminformatics

It is quite difficult to understand the relationship between macro-parameters and micro-parameters in different cases of micro-parameters' variation.

Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology

This would require mathematical optimization algorithms, e.g. in form of linear programming [120] which in turn makes it much more difficult to understand the relation between scenario settings and optimization results.

Energy, Sustainability and Society

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a lack of understanding, clarify what specific aspect is unclear. Instead of using the phrase "difficult to understand between", use more precise language like "difficult to differentiate between X and Y".

Common error

Avoid using "between" when you intend to describe a general lack of understanding. "Between" is used to compare two or more distinct items, so if you simply mean something is generally hard to understand, omit "between" and rephrase. For example, use "The concept is difficult to understand" rather than "The concept is difficult to understand between."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "difficult to understand between" is generally used to express a challenge in comprehending the relationship or differences between two or more things. However, as Ludwig AI highlights, the construction is often grammatically incorrect and unclear. The better formulation depends on the intended meaning.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

48%

News & Media

44%

Academia

8%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "difficult to understand between" is generally considered grammatically incorrect and lacks clarity, as supported by Ludwig AI. While its intended purpose is to express a challenge in comprehending relationships or differences, it's best to use more precise and grammatically sound alternatives like "difficult to differentiate between" or "hard to grasp the relationship between". The phrase appears in a mix of science, news, and academic contexts, but its incorrectness suggests avoiding it in formal writing. Clarifying the specific aspect that's hard to understand will always lead to more effective communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

difficult to differentiate between

Focuses specifically on the difficulty in distinguishing one thing from another.

difficult to comprehend the distinction between

Focuses on the challenge of understanding differences, replacing a general 'understand between' with a more specific 'comprehend the distinction'.

hard to understand the difference among

Similar to 'difficult to understand the distinction', but replaces 'distinction' with 'difference' and 'between' with 'among'.

hard to grasp the relationship between

Replaces "difficult to understand" with "hard to grasp", emphasizing the challenge of understanding a connection.

challenging to understand the link between

Replaces "difficult" with "challenging" and focuses on understanding a "link" instead of a general understanding.

challenging to discern the connection between

Uses "challenging to discern" instead of "difficult to understand", highlighting the effort needed to identify a connection.

not easy to see the correlation between

Emphasizes the lack of ease in seeing a correlation or relationship.

not easy to perceive the contrast between

Rephrases the difficulty as "not easy to perceive", focusing on noticing a difference.

difficult to appreciate the nuances between

Highlights the difficulty in understanding subtle differences or nuances.

hard to reconcile the discrepancies between

Focuses on the difficulty of resolving inconsistencies or differences.

FAQs

How can I properly use "difficult to understand" in a sentence?

To use "difficult to understand" correctly, ensure the sentence clearly indicates what is challenging to comprehend. For example, "The instructions were difficult to understand." If you are comparing items, use "difficult to differentiate between", as in, "It's difficult to differentiate "difficult to differentiate between" the two approaches".

What are some alternatives to the incorrect phrase "difficult to understand between"?

Instead of "difficult to understand between", consider using phrases like "difficult to differentiate between", "hard to grasp the relationship between", or "challenging to discern the connection between". These options provide more clarity and grammatical accuracy.

How do I use 'difficult to differentiate between' correctly?

Use "difficult to differentiate between" when highlighting the challenge of distinguishing two or more distinct items. For instance, "It is difficult to differentiate "difficult to differentiate between" cause and effect in this scenario."

What makes "difficult to understand between" grammatically incorrect?

The phrase "difficult to understand between" lacks grammatical precision. "Between" implies a comparison or distinction, so using "difficult to understand" in conjunction is vague and doesn't specify what's being compared or why it's hard to understand. It's better to specify what relationship or distinction is "hard to grasp the relationship between".