What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
sort
Example
Can you sort these books by author? [sort: verb]
Example
What sort of music do you like? [sort: noun]
Example
He's not the sort of person who would lie. [sort: adjective]
category
Example
This book falls under the category of science fiction. [category: noun]
Example
The data was sorted into different categories for analysis. [category: noun]
Example
These products are categorized by price range. [categorized: verb]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Category is more commonly used than sort in academic or technical contexts, while sort is more commonly used in everyday language.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between sort and category?
Category is generally considered more formal than sort, which can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
