What’s the Difference Between… History and Story?

These two words are often confused.

A story is

1. something you tell your friends about an event
   I want to tell you the story of how I lost my two front teeth.
   Did I ever tell you the story of when I went to the Tomatina?
2. what happens in a book or movie (also called the plot)
   The book tells the story of Albert Einstein’s childhood.
   The movie tells the sad story of the death of Martin Luther King, Jr.
3. a fable, a fairytale, or an anecdote
   I love the story of Alice in Wonderland.
   Have you ever heard the story of Peter Pan?

Note: stories can be true or not true.

The word story is countable (one story, two stories, many stories, few stories).

Also, we always use the verb tell with stories.

So, what about history?

History is

• the truth about a country, a culture, or people (the history of Australian Aborigines, the history of the Spanish Monarchy)

Note: history is generally considered true.

The word history is uncountable (The history, much history)

History is a school subject.

Practice!

Choose the correct word and answer the question in the comments section.

• When you were in school, did you like to study history/stories?
• Are you good at telling stories/history?
• How much do you know about the history/story of the United States?
• What’s the funniest history/story you’ve ever heard?
• Do you like scary histories/stories?