Difference between ALIEN, FOREIGNER, and STRANGER

600+ Confusing English Words ExplainedThis is a free sample from the e-book  600+ Confusing English Words Explained. It will help clear up your doubts about how to use English words correctly, so that you can speak and write more confidently. Click here for more information!

A stranger is a person you don’t know:

  • When I was a child, my mother taught me not to get into a car with a stranger.
  • When my car broke down, a kind stranger stopped to help me.

A foreigner is someone who comes from another country:

  • This town is a popular tourist destination, so there are always a lot of foreigners around.
  • The new law makes it easier for foreigners to get documents to work legally.
  • A lot of foreigners have been moving into this neighborhood – I’ve met people from seven different countries in my apartment building alone!

The word alien is a legal term for foreigner. It is usually used to describe “illegal aliens” (people who are in the country illegally) or “resident aliens” (people who are living in the country legally). Again, this is formal/legal language and in everyday speaking it’s best to use foreigner.

Alien also refers to creatures from other planets; it is another word for extraterrestrial.

Clear up your doubts about confusing words… and use English more confidently!

600+ Confusing English Words Explained

Click here to learn more about this e-book