What are the differences between "be by myself", "be on my own" and "be alone"? Are there any other expressions like these?
Native speaker’s answer
Rebecca
Honestly, I would say that all three are very similar. In my opinion, you can use them interchangeably. The only difference I can think of is that sometimes, "on my own" sounds more positive while "alone" and "by myself" can sometimes sound sadder. The only difference here is really nuance and context. Ex: I live alone. Ex: I live by myself. These first two examples might make me wonder if the person is feeling lonely. Ex: I live on my own. If I hear someone say this, I might think that they are very independent and self-sufficient!. However, this is a very subtle difference. I think you can use all three to mean the same thing without worrying too much about these subtle differences! A key point to remember with these is that it's easy to get the prepositions missed up too, so remember that it is: ON my own and BY myself, NOT BY my own. Also, remember that "alone" definitely has more of an emotive/potentially negative connotation. Someone might say, "I'm alone in the world." They probably wouldn't say "I'm by myself in the world," because "alone' suggests loneliness or a lack of support.
