Difference Between Quote & Quotation

Quote vs Quotation

There are several pairs of words in the English language with similar meanings, causing people to use them interchangeably. One such pair is “quote” and “quotation,” which can lead to confusion about which word to use in specific situations. This article aims to clarify the features and meanings of both words to eliminate any doubts regarding their usage.

Suppose your teacher asks you to use a quote in an essay about nationalism. In that case, you might be confused about whether to use “quote” or “quotation” because you believe “quotation” is the right word. Let’s find out the correct term.

Quote

“Quote” is a verb that refers to repeating someone else’s words while acknowledging the source. It can also be used when vendors provide a cost estimate for their services to a customer. Consider the following examples:

– Sunny provided his details on the website to get a quote for his insurance premium.
– I was so impressed by what was written in the book that I decided to quote it verbatim in my speech at the function.

Quotation

A “quotation” is a set of words repeated verbatim from another book or speech. It is used as a noun and can also refer to a statement of current price levels for a share or commodity in business.

Key Takeaways

• The main difference between “quote” and “quotation” is that “quote” is a verb, while “quotation” is a noun. So when you use a quotation, you can say that you “quote” a quotation.
• You “quote” a famous one-liner, which is referred to as a “quotation.”
• Quoting requires acknowledging the source of the quotation.