Family vs Families

Family and Families are two words that are often confused as one and the same word without any sort of difference. Strictly speaking there is some kind of difference between the two words. Family is the singular form whereas ‘families’ is the plural form. This is the main difference between the two words.

The word ‘family’ denotes a group of persons that belong to the same household. It comprises of members of the household such as a father, mother, brother, sister, grandfather, grandmother and the like.

On the other hand the word ‘families’ denotes groups of persons of two or more households. This is another important difference between the words family and families. By the word ‘families’, members that constitute two or more different households are understood. Look at the two sentences to understand the difference between the two words family and families.

1.The family of Joshua is a large one.

2.Tony and James hail from noble families.

In the first sentence the family of Joshua is described as a large one. It is an individual group of members of the same household of Joshua, namely his father, mother, sister, grandparents and the like. In the second sentence the families of Tony and James are two different families or groups of members of separate households. Both the households are of course described as noble in character.

In other words the families of  Tony and James may be small and large respectively. They may live in different places for that matter. On the other hand an individual family lives at the same place or town. Families may live in different cities or towns but yet can show common relationships. Thus it is understood that families though different and separated can show commonness in interests and likes. They may differ from each other too when it comes to their likes and dislikes.

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