Quick answer: Explain means to make something clear by giving reasons, causes, or meaning: Can you explain how it works? Describe means to give details of appearance, qualities, or events: Describe what you saw. Explaining answers “why” or “how”; describing answers “what” or “what like”. For a fuller definition, see the Cambridge Dictionary entry for ‘explain’.
Comparison Table
| Word | Core Purpose | Key Question | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| explain | give reasons, meaning, or causes | Why? How? | Explain why you were late. |
| describe | give details of appearance or events | What? What like? | Describe what the attacker looked like. |
Using Explain
Explain is used when you want to help someone understand the reason, cause, or meaning of something. It involves making something that is unclear become clear through logic, reasons, or analysis.
Please explain the rules of the game.
Can you explain why the project was delayed?
She explained how the engine works.
The doctor explained the side effects of the medication.
Explain to Someone
Note that explain requires “to” before a person: explain something to someone, never “explain someone something”.
Can you explain the plan to me?
Can you explain me the plan?
Using Describe
Describe is used to give a verbal picture of what something or someone looks like, or to recount the details of an event. It paints a picture rather than provides an explanation.
Describe the scene you witnessed.
She described the house in great detail.
He was described as tall with dark hair.
Describe what happened next.
Common Mistakes
✗ Can you explain me this word?
✓ Can you explain this word to me?
✗ Explain what the person looked like.
✓ Describe what the person looked like.
✗ Please describe why you made that decision.
✓ Please explain why you made that decision.
Also confusing: Tell vs Say, Follow vs Pursue. Browse all confusing word pairs →
Quick Check: Explain or Describe?
Four questions — choose the correct verb.
1. “Could you ___ what the thief looked like?”
2. “The teacher ___ the rules of the exercise to the class.”
3. “___ the main events of the story in your own words.”
4. “Can you ___ why the machine stopped working?”
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between explain and describe?
Explain means to make something clear by giving reasons, causes, or meaning (answers “why” or “how”). Describe means to give details of what something looks like or what happened (answers “what”).
Can I say “explain me something”?
No. Explain requires “to” before a person: “Explain it to me.” “Explain me something” is a very common error influenced by other languages.
Is “describe” used in police and legal English?
Yes. Witnesses are asked to “describe” what they saw, not to “explain” it. In legal contexts, a description relates to appearance and events, not reasons.
Can explain and describe be used together?
Yes, in a sequence: “First describe what happened, then explain why you reacted that way.”
What is the noun form of explain?
The noun is explanation: “He gave a clear explanation.” The adjective is explanatory.
What is the noun form of describe?
The noun is description: “She gave a vivid description.” The adjective is descriptive.
Which verb do IELTS and Cambridge exams use in writing tasks?
Both appear in exam rubrics. “Describe” often appears in IELTS Task 1 (data/charts) and Cambridge compositions asking about appearance or events. “Explain” appears when reasons or causes are needed.
Can I describe a feeling?
Yes. “Describe how you felt” asks for detail about the quality of the feeling. “Explain why you felt that way” asks for the cause or reason.
Is “self-explanatory” related?
Yes. Something self-explanatory is so clear that no further explanation is needed: “The title is self-explanatory.”
What is the difference between describe and depict?
Both involve creating an image in words or visuals. Describe uses words; depict can refer to images, paintings, or film, as well as words. “The mural depicts daily life in the 19th century.”