Sort of like, kind of, type of thing, these words often come out in the movie. What is the difference among these words?
Native speaker’s answer
Rebecca
Great question. All of these phrases have similar definitions and are all commonly used, which is why you hear these expression in movies. They are all fairly interchangeable, but I will still go over the definitions and give a few examples. "Sort of like" is a comparison to something that a person will understand better. It's considered a more slang term in English. In this clip, Iron Man compared The Avengers with a team. He does this so Loki will understand what The Avengers are. You can also say just "sort of" if someone asks a question about comparing something to another thing. Ex: A lion is sort of like a big cat. Ex: Lasagna is sort of like a layered pasta casserole. A: Is a plumeria a plant? B: Sort of! It technically is a flower that grows on a tree. "Kind of" also has a similar meaning as"sort of like." It is a comparison to something that someone will understand better. It is also used to soften other words or phrases so that they do not appear to be too direct or exact. Ex: The ACT is kind of like an entrance exam for university. Ex: He is kind of jealous of her. Ex: They are kind of like a team. Ex: I'm kind of scared of him. He can be so mean. "Type of thing" has a similar definition to sort of like. It compares one thing to another. Ex: I'm not prepared to deal with this type of thing. I don't have any experience with engineering. Ex: I'm not good at this type of thing. I don't dance well.
