What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
skewing
Example
The data was skewed towards younger participants. [skewed: past tense]
Example
The media's coverage of the event was skewed towards one political party. [skewing: gerund or present participle]
distort
Example
The mirror distorted her reflection, making her appear shorter. [distorted: past tense]
Example
The politician's speech distorted the truth to gain support. [distorting: gerund or present participle]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Distort is more commonly used than skew in everyday language. Distort is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while skew is less common and often used in technical or statistical contexts.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between skewing and distort?
Both skew and distort are formal words that are typically used in academic or technical writing. However, distort is more versatile and can be used in various formality levels, while skew is more limited in its usage.
