Quick answer: Achieve stresses reaching a specific, often difficult, goal through sustained effort. Accomplish suggests successfully completing a task or aim, emphasising that something was finished. Use achieve for long-term ambitions and accomplish for defined missions. For a fuller definition, see the Cambridge Dictionary entry for ‘achieve’.
Understanding Achieve
Achieve means to reach a desired goal or result, especially after considerable effort or difficulty. It carries a sense of striving — the goal was not easy, and success came through persistence. The word is especially common when talking about ambitions, targets, and long-term outcomes. You achieve greatness, achieve success, or achieve a high score. The emphasis is on the destination and the effort it took to get there. Achievement as a noun similarly conveys a sense of accomplishment earned through hard work. In academic, professional, and motivational contexts, achieve is the default choice when the speaker wants to highlight that a goal was challenging and meaningful.
She worked for years to achieve her dream of becoming a surgeon.
The team achieved record sales in the final quarter.
It is difficult to achieve fluency in a new language without daily practice.
He finally achieved the recognition he had always sought.
Understanding Accomplish
Accomplish means to succeed in doing or finishing something, particularly a specific task, mission, or objective. The focus is on completion — the job is done, the mission is fulfilled. While achieve keeps the spotlight on the goal itself, accomplish highlights the act of finishing. You accomplish a task, accomplish a mission, or accomplish a purpose. The word appears frequently in professional, military, and organisational contexts where there are clear assignments to complete. The adjective accomplished (meaning highly skilled) is a related but distinct use — "an accomplished musician" means someone who has mastered their craft.
We accomplished everything on the agenda before lunch.
The expedition accomplished its mission despite harsh conditions.
By working together, we can accomplish a great deal.
She accomplished three major projects in a single week.
Key Differences at a Glance
| Use case | Achieve | Accomplish |
|---|---|---|
| Long-term ambitions | ✓ Natural | Possible but less common |
| Completing a task | Less typical | ✓ Natural |
| Military / mission context | Possible | ✓ Preferred |
| Noun form | achievement | accomplishment |
| Adjective form (skilled) | Not used this way | accomplished |
Common Mistakes
✗ I achieved the laundry this morning.
✓ I accomplished the laundry this morning. or I did the laundry this morning.
✗ She accomplished her lifelong dream. (not wrong, but unusual)
✓ She achieved her lifelong dream.
✗ Winning the prize was a great accomplishment of science.
✓ Winning the prize was a great achievement of science.
Practice: Which Is Correct?
Four questions — choose the best word.
1. “She worked for a decade to ___ her goal of running a marathon.”
2. “The team ___ all of its tasks before the deadline.”
3. “He is an ___ pianist who has performed worldwide.”
4. “Winning the award was a remarkable ___ for the young scientist.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between achieve and accomplish?
Achieve stresses reaching a specific, often difficult, goal through sustained effort. Accomplish suggests successfully completing a task or aim, with focus on the act of finishing.
Can achieve and accomplish be used interchangeably?
They often overlap, but achieve tends to emphasise the difficulty of the goal and the effort required, while accomplish highlights completion of a set task or mission.
Is achieve or accomplish more formal?
Both are relatively neutral in register. Achieve is common in formal writing about long-term goals, while accomplish appears frequently in professional and military contexts.
Do achieve and accomplish take the same objects?
Achieve typically takes nouns like goals, success, results, or ambitions. Accomplish often takes task, mission, objective, or purpose — words that suggest a defined assignment.
Can I say “achieve a task”?
It is grammatically possible but less natural. Native speakers more commonly say “accomplish a task” or “complete a task”. Achieve works better with abstract goals such as “achieve success”.
What does “accomplished” mean as an adjective?
As an adjective, accomplished means highly skilled or expert: “She is an accomplished pianist.” The adjective form of achieve does not carry this meaning.
What is the noun form of achieve?
The noun form is achievement: “Winning the award was a great achievement.” The noun form of accomplish is accomplishment: “Learning a new language is quite an accomplishment.”
Which word is used more in business English?
Both appear frequently. Achieve is common in goal-setting (achieve targets, achieve results), while accomplish is used for completing missions or objectives (accomplish the task).
Can accomplish be used for long-term goals?
Yes, accomplish can describe long-term goals but tends to frame them as missions with a clear end point: “They accomplished their five-year plan.” Achieve often implies ongoing effort.
Is there a difference in British and American usage?
Both words are standard in British and American English. There is no significant regional preference, though accomplish is somewhat more common in American English.