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Continual vs. Continuous: What's the Difference?
Quick answer
- Continual means happening repeatedly, with gaps in between.
- Continuous means happening without any break.
The difference
A continual noise stops and starts; a continuous noise never stops. Careful writing keeps the distinction because it changes the picture entirely.
Continual
- Usually
- adjective
- Think
- again and again
- Meaning
- Repeated frequently, with interruptions.
- Example
- Continual interruptions ruined the afternoon.
Continuous
- Usually
- adjective
- Think
- unbroken
- Meaning
- Going on without a pause or gap.
- Example
- The machine emits a continuous hum.
When to use continual
Use continual for things that keep recurring rather than running non-stop.
- Continual delays wore the team down.
- She needed continual reminders.
When to use continuous
Use continuous for an unbroken stretch, of time, sound, motion or a physical line.
- Twelve continuous hours of rain.
- A continuous line of traffic stretched to the bridge.
Remember it
ContinuOUS = One Uninterrupted Stretch.
Common mix-up
Incorrect: He made continuous mistakes throughout the match.
Correct: He made continual mistakes throughout the match.
Separate mistakes repeat with gaps, that is continual.
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Think you've got it?
Three days of _____ rain flooded the road.
_____ phone calls made it impossible to focus.
Which fits a monitoring system that never switches off?
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