student asking question

What's the difference between "journal" and "diary"?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

A "journal" and "diary" are very similar, and many people don't differentiate between the two. However, a diary is usually a little more personal and used to record down events of the day or things as they happen. A journal can also be used for the same reason, but they are usually more structured (they will be sold with sections for each month or week) and can sometimes be used for things like school and work. Ex: I write in my diary every night. Ex: I recorded my personal thoughts about the business meeting in my journal.

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