What a difference between dependable and reliable? and how can I explain this my students?
For students, I’d simply tell them, “No difference.”
Even scholars debate over whether there is some subtle difference or they are identical in meaning.
For me:
Reliable is an opinion about something ongoing. “Will Bob finish the project?” Yes, he’s reliable.
Dependable is an opinion about something that MAY happen: “Who’s gonna help you move?” I’ll ask Bob, he’s dependable.
NOTE: That’s might be just me. The safe bet is what I said first, “No difference.”
I agree with the above comment. The words are essentially synonymous to me.
If there is a slight difference, I’d say that you are more likely to use ‘dependable’ when talking about a person (though you can also use ‘reliable’), whereas you are more likely to use ‘reliable’ when talking about a machine or tool. I think I would be more likely to talk about a reliable toaster than a dependable toaster, but I’d be about equally likely to describe a friend as ‘dependable’ or ‘reliable’.
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Thanx. You all solve my problems. But the words not synonymous I mean… I found this article Differencebtwn
and just figure out
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