What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
share
Example
Let's share the pizza equally among all of us. [share: verb]
Example
Can I have a share of your candy? [share: noun]
Example
I feel comfortable sharing my thoughts with you. [sharing: gerund or present participle]
portion
Example
The cake was portioned into equal slices. [portion: verb]
Example
I only ate a small portion of the meal. [portion: noun]
Example
The waiter brought me a large portion of pasta. [portion: noun]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Share is more commonly used than portion in everyday language, especially when talking about dividing something equally among a group of people.
Whatโs the difference in the tone of formality between share and portion?
Both share and portion can be used in formal and informal contexts, but portion may be more commonly used in formal settings such as restaurants or catering events to describe serving sizes.