i.e. vs e.g.: What They Mean and How to Punctuate Them
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Short answer
e.g. means *for example* — what follows is one or more examples, not the complete list. i.e. means *that is* or *in other words* — what follows restates or narrows down exactly what you mean.
The difference
Both are abbreviations of Latin phrases, but you only need the English meanings.
| Abbreviation | Latin | Means | Use it to |
|---|---|---|---|
| e.g. | exempli gratia | for example | give a sample |
| i.e. | id est | that is | say exactly what you mean |
- Bring something to drink, e.g. juice or water. — Juice and water are suggestions; tea would be fine too.
- Bring something to drink, i.e. water. — Water, specifically. Nothing else.
Memory aid: e.g. = example given. i.e. = in essence.
The substitution test
Read the sentence aloud with the English phrase in place.
- If for example fits, use e.g.
- If in other words fits, use i.e.
I only eat one kind of fruit, ___ apples. — in other words, apples makes sense; for example, apples doesn’t, because there is only one. So it is i.e.
Punctuation
- Write both in lower case with two full stops: e.g. and i.e. In British English, eg and ie without stops are also common; pick one form and stay consistent.
- In American English a comma follows them: e.g., juice or water. In British English the comma is often left out. Follow your style guide if you have one.
- They usually sit inside brackets or after a comma: Bring a drink (e.g. juice or water).
Don’t add etc.
e.g. already tells the reader the list is incomplete, so e.g. apples, pears, etc. says it twice. Use one or the other.
In formal writing
Many style guides prefer the English phrases in running text — for example and that is — and keep e.g. and i.e. for brackets, tables and notes. Writing the words out also removes any chance of the reader confusing the two.