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Ice cream vs gelato - The key ingredients might be similar (milk, cream, air) but the difference lies in the proportions (ice cream has more cream and air, as well as eggs) and how they are churned together. Gelato is churned slower, incorporating less air, thus becoming denser.

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Frogs vs toads - First of all, no one ever kissed a toad and turned it into a prince. Secondly, frogs have longer legs and toads have rougher, thicker skin.

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Hurricane vs typhoon vs cyclone - The only difference between a hurricane, a cyclone, and a typhoon is the location where the storm occurs. In the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific, it's a hurricane. In the Northwest Pacific, it's a typhoon. In the South Pacific and Indian Ocean, it's a cyclone.

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Alligators vs crocodiles - Alligators (left) have U-shaped snouts, while crocodiles are more V-shaped. Crocodiles tend to live in saltwater, while alligators hang out in freshwater. Most telling of all, however, is that one sees you later, but the other, in a while.

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British scones vs American biscuits - They're made of almost the same stuff—flour, leavener, fat, dairy—but biscuits are light and flaky, whereas scones are slightly drier and more crumbly. You eat scones with clotted cream, butter, or jam, and biscuits are meant to be paired with gravy or maple syrup.

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Global warming vs climate change - Global warming refers only to the Earth’s rising surface temperature, while climate change actually encompasses global warming but also includes a broad range of “side effects” like melting glaciers, rising sea levels, extreme weather events, etc.

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Jelly vs jam vs preserves -

All are made from fruit mixed with sugar and pectin, but the difference comes in the fruit’s form. Jelly is smoothest and clearest because it uses fruit juice. Jam uses fruit pulp or crushed fruit. In preserves, the fruit comes in the form of chunks in a gel or syrup.

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Compote vs marmalade - Compote is a dessert made of whole or pieces of fruit cooked in water with sugar and spices. Marmalade is made in a similar way, but uses the juice and peel of fruit (specifically citrus fruits).

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Hare vs rabbit - While fluffy rabbits are social and make good pets, hares are less social, have bigger ears and longer hind legs, and are best known for racing tortoises. 

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Sherbet vs sorbet -

The difference between these two types of fruity frozen desserts is mainly in the dairy. Sorbet contains no dairy at all, while sherbet contains a little cream or milk to give it a richer texture.

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College vs university - Universities tend to be larger and offer a wider range of courses than colleges. The biggest difference, however, is that a university offers graduate programs leading to master's or doctoral degrees. 

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Sweet potato vs yam - Many people (and grocery stores) confuse the two because sweet potato flesh can vary from white to orange and even purple, but a true yam (native to Africa and Asia) is more starchy, with a cylindrical shape, rough skin, and a white or purple flesh.

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Great Britain vs United Kingdom - Great Britain is a geographic term referring to the island, as well as a political term for England, Scotland, and Wales—but not Ireland. The UK is purely a political term for the country that encompasses all of Great Britain as well as Northern Ireland.

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Weather vs climate - Weather refers to short-term (from minutes to hours or days) atmospheric conditions that occur locally. Climate, however, refers to the long-term regional average of temperature, humidity, and rainfall patterns over entire seasons, years, or decades.

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Alpacas vs llamas - Alpacas have fluffy faces and stubby ears, whereas llamas have long banana-shaped ears and a longer face. Alpacas are (totally objectively) cuter.

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Stock vs broth -

Stock and broth share a lot of similarities, but there are three factors that make them different: the ingredients (stock uses bones, broth uses meat), cook time, and the presence of seasoning (stock is not seasoned).

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Ocean vs sea - To put it simply, oceans are bigger, deeper, and have more diverse marine life than seas. There are only five oceans, but more than 50 seas, and the oceans are interconnected while the seas are mostly closed off. 

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Apple juice vs apple cider -

Apple cider is made by cutting and grinding apples into a mash, then pressing the mash into fresh juice. Apple juice, however, undergoes filtration and pasteurization to remove pulp and extend shelf life.

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Shrimp vs prawn - Some claim that shrimp is the American name for the crustacean called prawns by the British, but in truth prawns are bigger, and have more claws than shrimp.

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Coffee vs espresso -

Espresso is strong black coffee that has a unique brewing method wherein very hot water is forced through finely-ground coffee beans. Regular drip coffee is made by pouring water over more coarsely-ground, roasted coffee beans in a filter.

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Coffee vs espresso -

Contrary to popular belief, there is more caffeine in an average cup of drip coffee than in an espresso.

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Race vs ethnicity vs nationality - Race refers to a person's physical characteristics. Ethnicity is made up of cultural origins (including nationality, regional culture, ancestry, and language), while nationality is the country in which you are a legal citizen.

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Yeti vs Bigfoot - Stories of mysterious ape men are common. The Abominable Snowman and Yeti are apparently just different names for the same legend, but Bigfoot, or Sasquatch, is a different beast altogether. While the Yeti belongs to Asia, Bigfoot is thought to be native to North America, specifically the Pacific Northwest.

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Seal vs sea lion - Seals (left) have small flippers, wriggle on their bellies on land, and lack visible ear flaps. Sea lions (right) are brown, they bark loudly, "walk" on land using their large flippers, and have visible ear flaps.

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Boat vs ship - Ships are larger, sturdier vessels that weigh over 500 tons, whereas boats are much tinier and generally stick to smaller bodies of water.

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Opossums vs possums - They’re both marsupials, but there’s only one marsupial native to America, and it’s the white-faced opossum. Possums, however, are native to Australia and have a rounder body with thick, typically golden fur.

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Cement vs concrete - Concrete is made of sand, gravel, and crushed stone, all held together by a paste of water and a binding agent—called cement. So, while you can’t have concrete without cement, they’re not the same.

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Turtles vs tortoises -

All tortoises are turtles, but not all turtles are tortoises. The major difference between the two is that tortoises (right) dwell on land, while turtles (left) live in the water.

Ready for more fun facts? Check out these surprising food origins which most people get wrong. 

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