Span vs. Period — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Maham Liaqat — Updated on April 1, 2024
Span refers to the extent or duration of something, emphasizing distance or coverage, while period denotes a length of time, often with a start and end point.
Difference Between Span and Period
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Span and period both relate to measurements of time or distance, but they emphasize different aspects. Span often refers to the physical distance between two points or the duration of something in a broader sense, focusing on the extent or reach. For example, the span of a bridge describes its physical length from one end to the other, while the span of a person's career could refer to its overall duration and achievements. On the other hand, a period specifically denotes a length of time, typically defined by a clear start and end point. It is commonly used to discuss historical eras, life phases, or durations of specific events.
The concept of a span can be applied more broadly than that of a period. While a period is almost exclusively used to describe segments of time, a span can describe both time and physical distances. For instance, the span of a bird's wings refers to the distance from one wingtip to the other, showcasing its application beyond temporal measurements. Whereas the period of the Renaissance refers specifically to the cultural, artistic, and scientific advancements between the 14th and 17th centuries, emphasizing its temporal boundary.
In practical usage, span tends to convey a sense of coverage or range, whether it's time, distance, or scope of influence. It is versatile, being applicable in various contexts such as construction (span of a bridge), life (life span), or projects (time span). In contrast, period is more precise, referring to time frames with specific characteristics or functions, like the Jurassic period in geology or the probationary period in employment, which are defined by distinct features or conditions.
The differentiation also extends into the subjective experience of time. For example, one might refer to the span of human civilization to discuss its achievements and progress over millennia, a concept that encompasses a broad and somewhat abstract range of time. Conversely, the period of the Middle Ages in European history is understood as a specific timeframe with particular societal, cultural, and political characteristics, providing a more focused and detailed historical analysis.
Both terms, while related to the concept of duration, offer unique perspectives. The span allows for a broader, more flexible interpretation, capable of encompassing both temporal and physical dimensions. The period, however, invites a closer examination of specific segments of time, often with an emphasis on their distinct or defining attributes. This distinction underscores the nuanced ways in which language can frame our understanding of time, distance, and history.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
The extent or duration of something.
A length of time with a start and end.
Usage
Can refer to time, distance, or coverage.
Primarily used to denote time frames.
Application
Broad, versatile across contexts.
Specific, focused on time segments.
Examples
Bridge length, career duration.
Renaissance, probationary period.
Emphasis
Coverage, range, or overall duration.
Specific timeframe, historical eras.
Compare with Definitions
Span
The distance between two points.
The bird's wingspan is notable for its species, aiding in long-distance flight.
Period
A length of time with a specific start and end, often characterized by particular events or conditions.
The Victorian period is known for its distinct architectural styles and social norms.
Span
The full extent, reach, or length of something, either in time or space.
The span of the Golden Gate Bridge impresses tourists and engineers alike.
Period
Often used in academic, scientific, and professional contexts.
The probationary period for new employees lasts three months.
Span
Often used to convey a sense of breadth or coverage.
The span of his knowledge on the subject is unmatched.
Period
Can refer to stages in life or milestones.
Her adolescent period was filled with both challenges and growth.
Span
Refers to the duration or length of an event or life.
Her career span has been marked by significant advancements in technology.
Period
Used to define distinct eras or epochs.
The Jurassic period was characterized by the dominance of dinosaurs.
Span
Can describe a broad range or series of items or events.
The novel covers a span of emotions, from joy to despair.
Period
Describes cycles or intervals in natural phenomena.
The period of the moon's orbit around the Earth is approximately 27.3 days.
Span
The extent or measure of space between two points or extremities, as of a bridge or roof; the breadth.
Period
An interval of time characterized by the occurrence of a certain condition, event, or phenomenon
A period of economic prosperity.
Span
The distance between the tips of the wings of an airplane.
Period
An interval of time characterized by the prevalence of a specified culture, ideology, or technology
Artifacts of the pre-Columbian period.
Span
The section between two abutments or piers of a bridge.
Period
An interval regarded as a distinct evolutionary or developmental phase
Picasso's early career is divided into his blue period and rose period.
Span
Something, such as a railroad trestle or bridge, that extends from one point to another.
Period
(Geology) A unit of time, longer than an epoch and shorter than an era.
Span
The distance from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger when the hand is fully extended, formerly used as a unit of measure equal to about 9 inches (23 centimeters).
Period
Any of the divisions of the academic day.
Span
A period of time
A span of life.
Period
Sports & Games A division of the playing time of a game.
Span
(Nautical) A stretch of rope made fast at either end.
Period
Physics & Astronomy The time interval between two successive occurrences of a recurrent event or phases of an event; a cycle
The period of a satellite's orbit.
Span
A pair of animals, such as oxen, matched as in size or color and driven as a team.
Period
See menstrual period.
Span
To extend across in space or time
A bridge that spans the gorge.
A career that spanned 40 years.
Period
A point or portion of time at which something is ended; a completion or conclusion.
Span
To encircle or cover with the hand or hands.
Period
A punctuation mark ( . ) indicating a full stop, placed at the end of declarative sentences and other statements thought to be complete, and after many abbreviations.
Span
To measure in spans.
Period
The full pause at the end of a spoken sentence.
Span
A past tense of spin.
Period
A sentence of several carefully balanced clauses in formal writing.
Span
The full width of an open hand from the end of the thumb to the end of the little finger used as an informal unit of length.
Period
A metrical unit of quantitative verse consisting of two or more cola.
Span
Any of various traditional units of length approximating this distance, especially the English handspan of 9 inches forming ⅛ fathom and equivalent to 22.86 cm.
Period
An analogous unit or division of classical Greek or Latin prose.
Span
(by extension) A small space or a brief portion of time.
He has a short attention span and gets bored within minutes.
Period
(Music) A group of two or more phrases within a composition, often made up of 8 or 16 measures and terminating with a cadence.
Span
A portion of something by length; a subsequence.
Period
The least interval in the range of the independent variable of a periodic function of a real variable in which all possible values of the dependent variable are assumed.
Span
The spread or extent of an arch or between its abutments, or of a beam, girder, truss, roof, bridge, or the like, between supports.
Period
A group of digits separated by commas in a written number.
Span
The length of a cable, wire, rope, chain between two consecutive supports.
Period
The number of digits that repeat in a repeating decimal. For example, 1/7 = 0.142857142857 ... has a six-digit period.
Span
(nautical) A rope having its ends made fast so that a purchase can be hooked to the bight; also, a rope made fast in the center so that both ends can be used.
Period
(Chemistry) A sequence of elements arranged in order of increasing atomic number and forming one of the horizontal rows in the periodic table.
Span
A pair of horses or other animals driven together; usually, such a pair of horses when similar in color, form, and action.
Period
Of, belonging to, or representing a certain historical age or time
A period piece.
Period furniture.
Span
(mathematics) The space of all linear combinations of something.
Period
Used to emphasize finality, as when expressing a decision or an opinion
You're not going to the movies tonight, period!.
Span
(computing) The time required to execute a parallel algorithm on an infinite number of processors, i.e. the shortest distance across a directed acyclic graph representing the computation steps.
Period
A length of time.
There was a period of confusion following the announcement.
You'll be on probation for a six-month period.
Span
Wingspan of a plane or bird
Period
A period of time in history seen as a single coherent entity; an epoch, era.
Food rationing continued in the post-war period.
Span
(transitive) To extend through the distance between or across.
The suspension bridge spanned the canyon.
Period
The punctuation mark “.” (indicating the ending of a sentence or marking an abbreviation).
Span
(transitive) To extend through (a time period).
The parking lot spans three acres.
The novel spans three centuries.
Period
(figurative) A decisive end to something; a stop.
Span
(transitive) To measure by the span of the hand with the fingers extended, or with the fingers encompassing the object.
To span a space or distance; to span a cylinder
Period
The length of time during which the same characteristics of a periodic phenomenon recur, such as the repetition of a wave or the rotation of a planet.
Span
(mathematics) To generate an entire space by means of linear combinations.
Period
(euphemism) Female menstruation; an episode of this.
When she is on her period, she prefers not to go swimming.
Span
To be matched, as horses.
Period
A section of an artist's, writer's (etc.) career distinguished by a given quality, preoccupation etc.
This is one of the last paintings Picasso created during his Blue Period.
Span
(transitive) To fetter, as a horse; to hobble.
Period
Each of the divisions into which a school day is split, allocated to a given subject or activity.
I have math class in second period.
Span
The space from the thumb to the end of the little finger when extended; nine inches; eighth of a fathom.
Period
Each of the intervals, typically three, of which a game is divided.
Gretzky scored in the last minute of the second period.
Span
Hence, a small space or a brief portion of time.
Yet not to earth's contracted spanThy goodness let me bound.
Life's but a span; I'll every inch enjoy.
Period
One or more additional intervals to decide a tied game, an overtime period.
They won in the first overtime period.
Span
The spread or extent of an arch between its abutments, or of a beam, girder, truss, roof, bridge, or the like, between its supports.
Period
The length of time for a disease to run its course.
Span
A rope having its ends made fast so that a purchase can be hooked to the bight; also, a rope made fast in the center so that both ends can be used.
Period
An end or conclusion; the final point of a process etc.
Span
A pair of horses or other animals driven together; usually, such a pair of horses when similar in color, form, and action.
Period
(rhetoric) A complete sentence, especially one expressing a single thought or making a balanced, rhythmic whole.
Span
To measure by the span of the hand with the fingers extended, or with the fingers encompassing the object; as, to span a space or distance; to span a cylinder.
My right hand hath spanned the heavens.
Period
(obsolete) A specific moment during a given process; a point, a stage.
Span
To reach from one side of to the order; to stretch over as an arch.
The rivers were spanned by arches of solid masonry.
Period
(chemistry) A row in the periodic table of the elements.
Span
To fetter, as a horse; to hobble.
Period
(geology) A geochronologic unit of millions to tens of millions of years; a subdivision of an era, and subdivided into epochs.
These fossils are from the Jurassic period.
Span
To be matched, as horses.
Period
(genetics) A Drosophila gene, the gene product of which is involved in regulation of the circadian rhythm.
Span
The complete duration of something;
The job was finished in the span of an hour
Period
(music) Two phrases (an antecedent and a consequent phrase).
Span
The distance or interval between two points
Period
(math) The length of an interval over which a periodic function, periodic sequence or repeating decimal repeats; often the least such length.
Span
Two items of the same kind
Period
(archaic) End point, conclusion.
Span
A unit of length based on the width of the expanded human hand (usually taken as 9 inches)
Period
Designating anything from a given historical era. en
A period car
A period TV commercial
Span
A structure that allows people or vehicles to cross an obstacle such as a river or canal or railway etc.
Period
Evoking, or appropriate for, a particular historical period, especially through the use of elaborate costumes and scenery.
Span
The act of sitting or standing astride
Period
That's final; that's the end of the matter (analogous to a period ending a sentence); end of story.
I know you don't want to go to the dentist, but your teeth need to be checked, period!
Span
To cover or extend over an area or time period;
Rivers traverse the valley floor
The parking lot spans 3 acres
The novel spans three centuries
Period
To come to a period; to conclude.
Period
To put an end to.
Period
A portion of time as limited and determined by some recurring phenomenon, as by the completion of a revolution of one of the heavenly bodies; a division of time, as a series of years, months, or days, in which something is completed, and ready to recommence and go on in the same order; as, the period of the sun, or the earth, or a comet.
Period
A stated and recurring interval of time; more generally, an interval of time specified or left indefinite; a certain series of years, months, days, or the like; a time; a cycle; an age; an epoch; as, the period of the Roman republic.
How by art to make plants more lasting than their ordinary period.
Period
One of the great divisions of geological time; as, the Tertiary period; the Glacial period. See the Chart of Geology.
Period
The termination or completion of a revolution, cycle, series of events, single event, or act; hence, a limit; a bound; an end; a conclusion.
So spake the archangel Michael; then paused,As at the world's great period.
Evils which shall never end till eternity hath a period.
This is the period of my ambition.
Period
A complete sentence, from one full stop to another; esp., a well-proportioned, harmonious sentence.
Periods are beautiful when they are not too long.
Period
The punctuation point [.] that marks the end of a complete sentence, or of an abbreviated word.
Period
One of several similar sets of figures or terms usually marked by points or commas placed at regular intervals, as in numeration, in the extraction of roots, and in circulating decimals.
Period
The time of the exacerbation and remission of a disease, or of the paroxysm and intermission.
Period
A complete musical sentence.
Period
To put an end to.
Period
To come to a period; to conclude. [Obs.] "You may period upon this, that," etc.
Period
An amount of time;
A time period of 30 years
Hastened the period of time of his recovery
Picasso's blue period
Period
One of three periods of play in hockey games
Period
A stage in the history of a culture having a definable place in space and time;
A novel from the Victorian period
Period
The interval taken to complete one cycle of a regularly repeating phenomenon
Period
A punctuation mark (.) placed at the end of a declarative sentence to indicate a full stop or after abbreviations;
In England they call a period a stop
Period
A unit of geological time during which a system of rocks formed;
Ganoid fishes swarmed during the earlier geological periods
Period
The end or completion of something;
Death put a period to his endeavors
A change soon put a period to my tranquility
Common Curiosities
How do span and period differ in usage?
Span can refer to both temporal durations and physical distances, emphasizing breadth or coverage, while period specifically denotes a segment of time with distinct characteristics.
Can span and period be used interchangeably?
In some contexts related to time, they might be used similarly, but they are not truly interchangeable due to their distinct emphases on range versus specific timeframes.
How does the concept of span apply outside of time measurements?
Span is also used to describe physical distances, such as the length of a bridge or the wingspan of a bird, highlighting its versatility.
What is a period?
A period denotes a specific length of time, often defined by particular events or conditions.
Why is it important to distinguish between span and period?
Understanding the difference enhances clarity and precision in communication, especially in academic, scientific, and professional contexts where the distinction impacts the interpretation of information.
What types of periods are recognized in history?
Historical periods are often named after significant events, cultural trends, or dominant figures, such as the Renaissance or the Elizabethan period.
What is a span?
A span refers to the full extent, reach, or duration of something, applicable to both time and physical space.
What role does the concept of period play in science?
In science, periods are crucial for understanding natural cycles, durations of phenomena, and chronological classifications, such as geological epochs.
Can a period refer to a personal experience?
Yes, period can describe stages in an individual's life or significant phases, such as the childhood period or a period of growth.
How is span used in construction or engineering?
In these fields, span typically refers to the distance between two supports of a structure, such as a bridge or an arch.
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Written by
Maham Liaqat
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
