student asking question

What's the main difference between "wait a second" and "wait a minute?" I understand they have the same meanings, but I wondered whether they have slight differences.

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

There is no real difference between the two! Although a second is a shorter unit of time than minute, it doesn't necessarily imply that the person is being asked to wait for a shorter period of time. Feel free to use whichever of the two expressions you prefer. Ex: Wait a minute, did someone just call my name? Ex: Please wait a second. I'll be right with you.

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