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Attribute vs Contribute

Definitions​

  • ‘Attribute’ (verb) means ‘consider as being caused by something’.
  • ‘Contribute’ (verb) means ‘help to cause or bring something into existence; provide money or support towards a goal or cause’.

What’s the difference between ‘attribute’ and ‘contribute’?​

As they differ only in their prefix, it is easy to confuse these two words. Furthermore, both are often followed by the preposition ‘to’. However, they mean different things.

  • ‘Attributing’ is assigning someone/something to be the cause of something, whereas ‘contributing’ is helping to cause something.
  • ‘Attribute’ can also be used as a noun, meaning a quality or characteristic.

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How they’re used​

Example sentences with ‘attribute’

  • They attributed academic success to external factors.
  • The authors attribute this phenomenon to two main causes.

Example sentences with ‘contribute’

  • Citations contribute to the impact factor of academic journals.
  • Participants were given the opportunity to contribute knowledge.