Find English Teachers
A...
What is the difference between "a twig" and "a branch"?
I've found these two words: "a twig" and "a branch", and I feel like they are complete synonymous. But maybe there is some difference, say "a twig" belongs to some specific kind of tree and "a branch" is just a general word?
Thanks in advance))
Nov 25, 2014 7:46 AM
Answers · 8
2
A twig is usually used to describe a very SMALL stick.
A branch is general. A stick of any size that came from a tree.
The key difference is: branch = general, twig = really small
November 25, 2014
There is a song in the U.S. that is popular at summer camps and other places--one of those songs that builds up a line at a time and is sort of a memory game for the people singing it.
Oh, the tree's in the hole
And the hole in the ground
And the green grass grew all around, all around
And the green grass grew all around.
Each verse adds a detail:
Now on this tree
There was a limb
The prettiest little limb that you ever did see,
Oh, the limb's on the tree and the tree's in the hole
And the hole's in the ground
And the green grass grew all around, all around
And the green grass grew all around.
The final verse goes
Oh, the flea's on the feather,
And the feather's on the bird,
And the bird's in the nest,
And the nest's on the leaf,
And the leaf's on the twig,
And the twig's on the branch, <-----
And the branch is on the limb,
And the limb's on the tree,
and the tree's in the hole
And the hole's in the ground
And the green grass grew all around, all around
And the green grass grew all around.
Here's a version by the late great folksinger Pete Seeger:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r27LxvbVAB0
He gets to "the twig's on the branch" at about 1:02
November 25, 2014
A branch usually comes straight from the truck and is of significant size. If you draw a linguistic tree-diagram of a sentence, each node has branches, but none really qualifies as twigs - yet a 'twig' could be an insignificant segment.
January 12, 2015
size; thickness.
January 12, 2015
I like the explanation, thanks!
November 25, 2014
Show more
Still haven’t found your answers?
Write down your questions and let the native speakers help you!
A...
Language Skills
English, German, Italian, Japanese, Mongolian, Russian
Learning Language
Italian, Japanese, Mongolian
Articles You May Also Like

Speak More Fluently with This Simple Technique
25 likes · 4 Comments

How to Read and Understand a Business Contract in English
20 likes · 3 Comments

6 Ways italki Can Help You Succeed in Your School Language Classes
15 likes · 9 Comments
More articles