You’re typing a work email, everything is flowing, and then you hit a wall. You want to say something like: “___ the delay, we’re still on track.” Do you write despite? Or in spite of? And wait, is it despite of? Suddenly you’re staring at the screen, second-guessing yourself on a phrase you’ve seen a hundred times. If you’ve ever wondered about despite vs in spite of, which one to use, whether they mean the same thing, and why “despite of” sounds so wrong, you’re in the right place.
Here’s the good news: this is one of the easier grammar questions in English, once you see the full picture. By the end of this lesson, you’ll understand the one real grammar rule both phrases share, and know exactly when to reach for each one. This is the kind of usage-based grammar that Your Daily American focuses on: not abstract rules, but how native speakers actually use English in real situations.
Despite vs In Spite Of: Meaning and Usage
Both phrases do the same job: they show contrast
“Despite” and “in spite of” are both prepositions. They introduce a contrast between two ideas and carry the same core meaning: regardless of, even though, or notwithstanding. Look at these two sentences side by side:
- Despite the traffic, she arrived on time.
- In spite of the traffic, she arrived on time.
The meaning is identical. Many native speakers use both interchangeably in informal contexts, much the way they’d swap “begin” and “start.” The two phrases are not two different tools for two different jobs, they’re the same tool, one just happens to be three words instead of one. Neither is wrong, and swapping one for the other rarely changes meaning in most everyday contexts.
Why this surprises ESL learners
When learners see one phrase written as a single word and another written as three separate words, the natural assumption is that they must mean different things. English does have many multi-word prepositional expressions that work this way, though. “As well as,” “due to,” and “because of”, these multi-word phrases function exactly like single prepositions. Once you recognize that pattern, “in spite of” stops feeling strange and starts feeling like a normal part of the language.
The grammar rule both phrases share
What comes after “despite” and “in spite of”
Here is the core rule: both phrases are followed by a noun, noun phrase, or gerund (the -ing verb form). They are prepositions, not conjunctions, so they do not directly introduce a clause with its own subject and verb. These are all correct:
- Despite the noise (noun phrase)
- In spite of being nervous (gerund)
- Despite his best effort (noun phrase)
- In spite of the delay (noun phrase)
The structure is: despite / in spite of + noun or -ing form. Keep that pattern in mind and you’ll avoid most of the common errors. For a clear reference on these prepositional forms, see Cambridge Dictionary’s explanation of “in spite of” and “despite”.
How to handle a full clause: “despite the fact that”
Sometimes you want to use a full clause, a subject and a verb, after one of these phrases. The standard fix is simple: add “the fact that.” The full structure becomes despite the fact that + subject + verb, or in spite of the fact that + subject + verb. Here are two examples from professional contexts:
- Despite the fact that the deadline was moved, the team delivered strong results.
- In spite of the fact that she hadn’t prepared a script, her interview answer sounded confident and natural.
Both sentences are grammatically clean and sound polished. “The fact that” is the bridge that lets you connect a full clause to a preposition that would otherwise only accept a noun. For more practice with contrasting structures like this, check British Council’s lesson on contrasting ideas.
Despite and in spite of in real everyday situations
In casual conversation
Native speakers use both phrases in relaxed, everyday speech, and neither sounds stiff or overly formal when you use it naturally. You might hear someone say, “In spite of the cold, we ended up staying outside for hours” or “Despite how tired I was, I actually had a great time.” Some speakers perceive “despite” as slightly more clipped and direct, while “in spite of” can feel a bit more emphatic, almost like the speaker is underlining the contrast. That said, these are subtle stylistic impressions rather than firm rules, and context usually matters more than the phrase you choose. For more informal examples and common phrases, see our piece on Common American Expressions Every English Learner Should Know. If you’re interested in how rhythm and emphasis affect tone, our Word Stress in American English: A Complete Guide explains how stress patterns shape perceived formality and emphasis.
In workplace emails
Professional written communication is where many ESL learners need these phrases most, and both work well here. Consider these sentences:
- Despite the delay, we remain on schedule to deliver by Friday.
- In spite of the budget constraints, the team exceeded its Q2 targets.
Both sentences sound polished, precise, and confident. They frame a challenge without dwelling on it and shift attention immediately to the positive outcome. That’s the tone you want in a professional email, and these phrases are one of the cleanest ways to achieve it.
In job interview answers
These phrases are genuinely useful in interviews because they let you frame a difficult situation without sounding like you’re making excuses. “Despite having no prior management experience, I led a cross-functional team of eight people” immediately signals competence and growth. “In spite of a difficult launch period, we grew our user base by 40%” tells a hiring manager that you deliver results under pressure. Both structures follow the same pattern: name the obstacle briefly, then pivot immediately to what you did or achieved. Interview coaches commonly recommend exactly this kind of framing, it follows a miniature obstacle-action-result sequence that tends to land well in behavioral interviews.
The one real difference: when formality matters
“Despite” is slightly more formal and concise, and more frequently used
“Despite” is a single word, and in formal writing, reports, academic papers, business correspondence, that brevity matters. It reads as precise and clean. Frequency data from large American English corpora, including the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA), shows “despite” appearing considerably more often than “in spite of” in edited written prose. Many usage guides, including Garner’s Modern English Usage, treat “despite” as the natural default when concision matters. Compare these two:
- Despite the setback, the project finished on time.
- In spite of the setback, the project finished on time.
Both are correct. The first is slightly more compact; the second is a fraction more expansive. In a formal report, most editors reach for the first.
When to reach for “in spite of”
“In spite of” is fully standard in both speech and writing, and it’s not a lesser choice. It can carry more emotional weight or emphasis in certain sentences, which is why writers and speakers sometimes prefer it when they want to stress a contrast more strongly: “In spite of everything they said, she trusted her instincts.” That sentence has a kind of defiant rhythm that “despite” wouldn’t quite replicate. Choosing between the two phrases is a stylistic judgment, not a grammar rule. Get the structure right first, then let your ear guide the word choice.
Common mistakes ESL learners make with these phrases
“Despite of”, the error to eliminate first
This is the single most common mistake: despite of the rain, despite of his efforts. This form does not exist in standard English. Standard grammar references are consistent on this point: “despite” is already a complete preposition and does not take “of.” Only “in spite of” uses “of” because it’s a fixed three-word expression where “of” is baked in. The fix is simple: drop the “of.” For another concise explanation of this common confusion, see Grammarly’s guide to despite vs in spite of.
- Incorrect: Despite of the traffic, we arrived on time.
- Correct: Despite the traffic, we arrived on time.
If you find yourself writing “despite of,” stop and remind yourself: “despite” stands alone, “in spite of” has the “of” built in.
Putting a full clause directly after “despite”
Writing “Despite she was tired, she kept working” is not standard English. The phrase needs a noun or gerund after it, not a bare subject-verb clause. You have two clean fixes. First, convert the clause to a gerund: “Despite being tired, she kept working.” Second, add “the fact that”: “Despite the fact that she was tired, she kept working.” Both are correct. This is a nuance that trips up even intermediate learners, so it’s worth drilling until it feels automatic.
Spelling “in spite of” as one word
“Inspite” written as a single word is a common typing error. Spell-checkers will flag it, and in formal documents it signals carelessness to a native-speaking reader. The correct form is always three separate words: in spite of. If you’re ever unsure, remember that “despite” is the one-word option. “In spite of” is always three.
Your cheat-sheet for remembering these rules
Despite vs in spite of: the one rule that covers both
Despite and in spite of mean the same thing. Both take a noun, noun phrase, or gerund. Neither takes a full clause directly; use “the fact that” if you need a clause. “Despite” is slightly more formal and concise; “in spite of” is slightly more emphatic and conversational. Never write “despite of.” That’s the whole rule.
| Structure | “Despite” example | “In spite of” example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun phrase | Despite the noise | In spite of the noise |
| Gerund (-ing) | Despite being late | In spite of being late |
| Full clause | Despite the fact that it rained | In spite of the fact that it rained |
Try it yourself: 3 practice prompts
Write a complete sentence for each prompt below. Then write it again using the other phrase to feel how the tone shifts slightly.
- Casual conversation: Start with “___ the bad weather, we decided to…”
- Workplace email: Start with “___ the unexpected changes, our team managed to…”
- Job interview answer: Start with “___ limited resources, I was able to…”
Write both versions of each sentence and say them out loud. You’ll notice which one feels more natural for that context. This kind of hands-on practice, using grammar in sentences tied to your real life, is what drives long-term retention. At Daily Grammar, Your Daily American, every grammar lesson is built around real sentences native speakers actually use, so the rules click into place through context, not memorization.
Frequently asked questions about despite vs in spite of
Can you say “despite of”?
No. “Despite of” is not standard English. “Despite” is a complete preposition on its own and does not need “of.” Write “despite the rain,” not “despite of the rain.”
When do you use “despite” vs “in spite of”?
Use either one, they mean the same thing. If you want to be slightly more concise or formal, “despite” is a safe default. If you want a bit more rhythmic emphasis on the contrast, “in spite of” works well. Both are always followed by a noun, noun phrase, or gerund.
Is “in spite of” more formal than “despite”?
It’s actually the reverse. “Despite” tends to appear more often in edited formal writing because it’s shorter and more compact. “In spite of” is fully standard, but can feel slightly more emphatic or conversational depending on context.
What’s the difference between “despite” and “although”?
“Although” is a conjunction, which means it introduces a full clause with its own subject and verb: “Although she was tired, she kept working.” “Despite” is a preposition and requires a noun or gerund: “Despite her tiredness, she kept working.” They express the same contrast, the difference is in the grammar that follows.
Is “inspite” one word?
No. “Inspite” is a spelling error. The correct form is always three separate words: in spite of.
The bottom line
This isn’t a hard grammar question. Despite vs in spite of: the meaning is the same, the structure is the same, and the difference between them comes down to tone and word count. What matters is getting the structure right, always follow both phrases with a noun, noun phrase, or gerund, never a bare clause, and never add “of” after “despite” alone. For another clear side-by-side comparison, see Scribbr’s comparison of despite vs in spite of.
Take one of those practice prompts right now and write your sentence. Grammar sticks when you use it in a sentence that means something to you, not when you memorize a rule in isolation. Once you’ve written your sentence, you’ll have already used “despite” or “in spite of” correctly in context, and that’s one more piece of American English that belongs to you.
