The difference between similar words

[K.Vee.Shanker.]

I want to know the difference between similar words such as

1. variation & variance
2. percent & percentage

Which of these are correct?

Enter the percentage of commission here.
The variation is small
or
Enter the percent of commission here.
The variance is small.

[Silke]

Okay.

A percentage is calculated by multiplying a number by a specific percent.
i.e. you can say a high percentage of users did ... but you can't say a high percent of users.

Percent is a specific number. (i.e. 20%) while percentage is a fraction of the number and you can refer to the lower or higher percentage.
Percent = 100
Percentage = 40/60 etc.

I'm not explaining this right lol.

Variation = Vague
Variance = Specific
(I think)

[Maeve]

Okay.

A percentage is calculated by multiplying a number by a specific percent.
i.e. you can say a high percentage of users did ... but you can't say a high percent of users.

Percent is a specific number. (i.e. 20%) while percentage is a fraction of the number and you can refer to the lower or higher percentage.
Percent = 100
Percentage = 40/60 etc.

I'm not explaining this right lol.

Variation = Vague
Variance = Specific
(I think)

I think your explanation of the difference between percent and percentage is clear. A percent is a part of a hundred. A percentage is obtained by multiplying a number by a percent.

The difference between variation and variance takes a little more explaining. Maybe a DWT post of its own.

Variation is the more common word:


The nickname Willie is a variation of the name William.


The word variance is used in discussing statistical information:


The variance between workers performing tasks in ergonomically-designed jobs is assumed to be dominated by the variance between jobs. ...

The genetic variance between populations is a parameter.

Without knowing the context, it is impossible to choose between "the variation is small" and "the variance is small."

[prince]

thank u Maeve

so in general we use variation but in statistic we have to use variance..

can we say that?

[K.Vee.Shanker.]

I think your explanation of the difference between percent and percentage is clear. A percent is a part of a hundred. A percentage is obtained by multiplying a number by a percent.

The difference between variation and variance takes a little more explaining. Maybe a DWT post of its own.

Variation is the more common word:




The word variance is used in discussing statistical information:



Without knowing the context, it is impossible to choose between "the variation is small" and "the variance is small."

Thanks Maeve,

I'm now clear about 'Percent' & 'Percentage'. I urge you to write about such nuances in a separate write up at the earliest. I want to know more about application of words, as I hear that the same word has different types for expressing 'quality' and 'quantity'. Is that so?