What's the difference between "fog" and "mist"? Are they interchangeable?

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Although "fog" and "mist" seem to be fairly similar, they are not the same. They are both low-lying clouds that contain water droplets, but "fog" is much thicker and harder to see through than "mist." The amount of visibility determines whether it's considered "mist" or "fog." If visibility is over 1 kilometer, then it's considered "mist." If visibility is under 1 kilometer, it's considered "fog." We do not use these interchangeably. Ex: The fog is so thick that you can barely see in front of you. Ex: A thin layer of mist covered the lake.

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Popular Q&As

05/04

1
I'm not used to seeing the expression "there exists" as opposed to "there is/are", is it a common expression? What is the difference between "there exist" and "there is/are"?
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2
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