Word Differences
May vs. Might: What’s the Difference?
May suggests a higher likelihood or asks permission; might suggests a more remote possibility. Learn the nuance with examples.
By Vocabaura Editorial · Published 14 August 2026 · 6 min read
Quick answer
May and might both express possibility, but may suggests a slightly higher likelihood (and can ask permission), while might suggests a more remote or hypothetical possibility.
May and might are both modal verbs used to express possibility, and in casual speech they’re often used interchangeably without much consequence. But in careful writing, especially about degrees of likelihood or hypothetical situations, the distinction is worth keeping.
May: Meaning and Use
May (rhymes with “day”) is a modal verb. It expresses a possibility that feels reasonably likely, or it’s used to ask for or grant permission.
- It may rain later; the forecast looks unsettled.
- May I borrow your pen?
- Visitors may park in the main lot.
Might: Meaning and Use
Might (rhymes with “light”) is the past tense of may, but it’s also used on its own to express a possibility that feels more remote, more tentative, or purely hypothetical.
- I might go to the party, but I’m not sure.
- If she had left earlier, she might have caught the train.
- He said he might be late.
Which Word Should I Use?
For everyday possibilities, either word usually works, but if you want to signal that something is less likely, choose might. Use may specifically when asking for or granting permission, might sounds oddly formal or archaic in that role (“might I borrow your pen?” is old-fashioned rather than simply polite). In reported speech about the past, might is standard: “she said she might come.”
| May | Might | |
|---|---|---|
| Likelihood | Somewhat likely | More remote, uncertain |
| Permission | Yes, “May I…?” | Rare, sounds formal/old-fashioned |
| Hypotheticals | Less common | Standard, “might have gone” |
| Example | She may join us later. | She might join us, but probably not. |
Quick check
Which word completes this sentence?
“___ I ask you a question? (______)”
Free practice, no account or AI credits needed. Keep reading below.
Common Mistakes
- “He may have won if he’d trained harder”, since the event is over and didn’t happen, “might have won” is more accurate for the hypothetical.
- Using might to ask permission: “Might I use the bathroom?” isn’t wrong, just noticeably formal.
- Assuming may and might are always fully interchangeable, in precise or academic writing, the likelihood distinction matters.
- Confusing might (possibility) with “must,” which expresses near-certainty, not mere possibility.
Practice
Fill the blank
___ I ask you a question? (May)
Fill the blank
If I’d studied more, I ___ have passed. (might)
Test yourself
0 of 4 answered
Free practice, no account or credits needed.
1. Which word is used to politely ask permission?
2. “If we had left earlier, we ___ have avoided the traffic.”
3. Which suggests a more remote possibility?
4. What is might historically the past tense of?