The choice between attain and obtain confuses many learners and writers. Both verbs mean to get something, but they differ in how that getting happens.
Attain often suggests effort, progress, or reaching a goal. Obtain usually means to get possession of something, often by request, purchase, or chance. Knowing the difference helps you write more precisely and sound natural.
This article explains the attain vs obtain difference with clear examples and simple rules. I will analyse parts of speech, check verbs for correct tense and agreement, and give practical tips to use each word correctly.
Parts-of-speech analysis
Below I label the main parts of speech for key words in each introduction sentence and check verbs and sentence structure.
“The choice between attain and obtain confuses many learners and writers.”
- Nouns: choice, learners, writers.
- Pronouns: none.
- Verbs: confuses (present tense, singular — matches subject The choice → correct).
- Adjectives: many (modifies learners and writers).
- Prepositions: between (introduces the pair).
- Articles: The (definite article).
- Sentence check: Complete sentence; verb agrees with subject.
“Both verbs mean to get something, but they differ in how that getting happens.”
- Pronouns: both (determiner), they, that (demonstrative).
- Nouns: verbs, something, getting, how.
- Verbs: mean (present, plural subject Both verbs → correct), differ (present plural → correct), happens (present singular — subject that getting → correct).
- Conjunction: but (joins clauses).
- Sentence check: Verb tenses and agreement are correct.
“Attain often suggests effort, progress, or reaching a goal.”
- Noun (word as noun): Attain (treated as lexical item)
- Adverb: often (modifies suggests).
- Verb: suggests (present singular; subject Attain treated as singular → correct).
- Nouns: effort, progress, goal (objects; goal modified by reaching).
- Conjunctions: or (lists items).
- Sentence check: Correct structure.
“Obtain usually means to get possession of something, often by request, purchase, or chance.”
- Noun (word): Obtain (lexical item)
- Adverb: usually (modifies means).
- Verb: means (present singular; correct)
- Verb phrase: to get possession (infinitive phrase acting as complement)
- Prepositions: by (introduces methods)
- Nouns: request, purchase, chance.
- Sentence check: Good.
“Knowing the difference helps you write more precisely and sound natural.”
- Gerund/Noun: Knowing (acts as noun subject)
- Verb: helps (present singular — matches Knowing → correct)
- Pronoun: you (object)
- Verbs (infinitives): write, sound (base forms after helps → correct)
- Adverbs: more precisely, naturally (modify verbs)
- Sentence check: Correct.
“This article explains the attain vs obtain difference with clear examples and simple rules.”
- Pronoun: This (demonstrative)
- Verb: explains (present singular; matches subject This article → correct)
- Nouns: article, difference, examples, rules
- Adjectives: clear, simple (modify nouns)
- Preposition: with (introduces tools used)
- Sentence check: Correct.
“I will analyze parts of speech, check verbs for correct tense and agreement, and give practical tips to use each word correctly.”
- Pronoun: I (subject)
- Verbs: will analyze (future), check (parallel with will), give (parallel) — all agree with subject I.
- Nouns: parts, speech, verbs, tense, agreement, tips, word.
- Infinitive: to use (introduces purpose).
- Adverb: correctly (modifies use).
- Sentence check: Parallel structure and tense correct.
Short answer — main difference
- Attain = reach, achieve, or succeed in getting something, especially after effort or progress.
- Example: She attained her goal of finishing the degree.
- Obtain = get or procure something; often neutral about effort — you can obtain by buying, asking, or finding.
- Example: He obtained a copy of the report from the office.
- Quick test: if the meaning is reach or achieve, use attain. If the meaning is simply get or procure, use obtain.
Origins and nuance (simple)
- Attain comes from Latin attingere/attinere via Old French. It has a sense of reaching to or arriving at. This is why attain pairs with goals, levels, or states.
- Obtain comes from Latin obtinere meaning hold, possess, and later get. It focuses on possession or acquisition.
Nuance: attain often implies progress, steps, or success. Obtain is more neutral about how the thing was gotten.
Parts of speech — verb forms and complements
Both words are verbs. We should watch their typical grammar patterns.
Attain (verb)
- Often transitive: attain + noun — attain success, attain a level
- Can be used in passive: was attained — The goal was attained.
- Common collocations: attain a goal, attain a level, attain success, attain maturity.
Obtain (verb)
- Transitive: obtain + noun — obtain a permit, obtain data
- Passive: was obtained — The data was obtained.
- Common collocations: obtain permission, obtain information, obtain results.
Verb tense and agreement check: Use normal subject-verb agreement.
- He obtains (present third singular).
- They obtain (present plural).
- She attained (past).
- We will obtain (future).
Usage examples with parts-of-speech labels and checks
I list many examples and label key parts of speech so you can see how each verb fits.
- Attain — example 1
- She attained fluency after two years of study.
- She (pronoun, subject) | attained (verb, past) | fluency (noun, object) | after (preposition) | two years (noun phrase) | of (preposition) | study (noun).
- Check: Past tense attained matches subject She.
- Attain — example 2
- They hope to attain a higher position in the company.
- They (pronoun) | hope (verb present) | to attain (infinitive verb phrase object) | a higher position (noun phrase) | in (preposition) | the company (noun phrase).
- Check: Verb hope takes infinitive to attain.
- Obtain — example 1
- You can obtain a permit from the city office.
- You (pronoun) | can obtain (modal + base verb) | a permit (noun object) | from (preposition) | the city office (noun phrase).
- Check: Modal can + base form obtain; structure correct.
- Obtain — example 2
- The researcher obtained new data for the study.
- The researcher (noun) | obtained (verb past) | new data (noun phrase) | for (preposition) | the study (noun phrase).
- Check: Past tense agrees with subject.
- Passive form — both verbs
- The award was attained after many years. (passive — correctly formed)
- Permission was obtained by the team. (passive — correctly formed)
Common collocations and contexts
Where you often see attain:
- academic and formal contexts: attain a degree, attain proficiency
- personal growth and goals: attain maturity, attain success
- measurable levels: attain a temperature, attain a speed
Where you often see obtain:
- legal and bureaucratic contexts: obtain a license, obtain permission
- research and data: obtain results, obtain samples
- transactions and procurement: obtain materials, obtain goods
Parts-of-speech note: In collocations both verbs take noun objects. Choose nouns that match semantics: attain + goal/level/state; obtain + item/document/data.
Examples of wrong use and fixes (common mistakes)
- Mistake:I obtained my degree last year. (sounds odd but acceptable)
- Comment: Many speakers use obtain for degrees; attain is often preferred for achievements like a degree. Both are grammatically okay, but attain a degree emphasizes the achievement; obtain a degree emphasizes the acquisition (paper, certificate).
- Fix/preference: I attained my degree last year. (emphasize achievement)
- Mistake:We attained the data from the lab. (wrong nuance)
- Why wrong: attain is odd with data because data are obtained, not reached.
- Fix: We obtained the data from the lab.
- Mistake:She obtained success after years of work. (acceptable but heavy)
- Fix: She attained success after years of work. (better: success is achieved)
- Mistake:Please attain a copy of the report.
- Why wrong: Sounds unnatural; obtain is correct for getting copies.
- Fix: Please obtain a copy of the report.
Rule of thumb: If the object is a goal/state, prefer attain. If the object is a thing/document/data, prefer obtain.
Formality and tone — which to use where?
- Attain tends to sound slightly more formal and is common in written or formal spoken contexts that discuss goals and achievement. Example: attain a high standard, attain full independence.
- Obtain is neutral and common in formal and informal contexts when describing getting or acquiring. Example: obtain a permit; obtain resources.
Both are acceptable in formal writing, but choose based on semantics, not formality alone.
American vs British English — any differences?
Short answer: No major difference in meaning. Both American and British English use attain and obtain similarly.
Small notes:
- In both dialects, attain is used more in formal or academic English when talking about goals.
- Obtain is common in technical, legal, and administrative language in both varieties.
- Usage patterns (preferences for certain collocations) are similar across dialects.
Idiomatic expressions and related verbs
Related verbs that sometimes overlap: achieve, acquire, get, reach, secure
- Achieve is close to attain.
- Acquire is similar to obtain (especially for possessions).
- Secure often implies effort to obtain and can overlap with both: secure funding (obtain funding through effort).
Examples:
- Attain maturity ≈ achieve maturity
- Obtain consent ≈ acquire consent (but acquire is less common with consent)
Practical tips — choose the right verb
- Ask: Is it a goal or a thing? If goal/level/state → attain. If thing/document/data → obtain.
- attain a goal, obtain a permit.
- Think about effort vs possession: If you mean reach after effort → attain. If you mean get/secure → obtain.
- Check collocations: Use common pairings: attain success, attain a degree; obtain permission, obtain data.
- Passive voice: Both form passive naturally: was attained / was obtained. Use passive when agent is unknown or unimportant.
- Formality: Both work in formal writing. Use attain for achievement emphasis; obtain for neutral acquisition statements.
Rewriting for clarity, style, and correctness (simple rewrites)
Below are common awkward or wrong sentences and improved versions.
- Original (awkward):Please attain a copy of the invoice.Improved:Please obtain a copy of the invoice.
- Why: Use obtain for documents.
- Original (acceptable but clearer): He obtained his PhD last year. Improved: He attained his PhD last year. or He obtained his PhD last year. (either; attained emphasizes achievement)
- Original (wrong):We need to obtain high results in the contest.Improved:We need to attain high results in the contest.
- Why: results as a goal is better with attain.
- Original (wordy):She obtained success by effort.Improved:She attained success through effort.
- Why: Attain fits better with success and through is clearer than by here.
Longer examples in context (with grammar checks)
- Workplace:
- To obtain a work permit, you must submit the application and supporting documents.
- To obtain (infinitive verb) a work permit (noun phrase), you (pronoun) must submit (modal + base verb) the application (noun) and supporting documents (noun phrase).
- Check: Modal must and base verb submit correct.
- Education:
- She attained top marks after months of study and revision.
- She (pronoun) | attained (verb past) | top marks (noun phrase) | after (preposition) | months (noun) | of study (prepositional phrase) and revision (noun).
- Check: Past tense matched to completed action.
- Research:
- The team obtained enough samples to proceed with the analysis.
- The team (noun) | obtained (verb past) | enough samples (noun phrase) | to proceed (infinitive) | with the analysis (prepositional phrase).
- Check: Past verb; purpose expressed with infinitive.
- Goal setting:
- Companies aim to attain high customer satisfaction to build trust.
- Companies (noun) | aim (verb present) | to attain (infinitive) high customer satisfaction (noun phrase) | to build (infinitive) trust (noun).
- Check: Present verb aim matches plural subject.
Conclusion
- Attain: use for reaching goals, levels, or states. Think achieve.
- Obtain: use for getting or procuring items, permissions, data. Think get/secure.
- Check verb tense and subject-verb agreement normally. Use passive when needed: was obtained, was attained.Rephrase if meaning is unclear.
FAQs
- Q: Can I say “I obtained my degree”? A: Yes. You can also say I attained my degree. Attain emphasizes achievement.
- Q: Is obtain more formal than get? A: Yes. Obtain is more formal than get. Use obtain in formal writing.
- Q: Which verb fits “success”? A: Attain success is correct. Obtain success sounds less natural.
- Q: Can obtain be used with data? A: Yes. Obtain data is common in research contexts.
- Q: Is passive ok with both verbs? A: Yes. The permit was obtained. The goal was attained.
- Q: Are there regional differences? A: No major difference between American and British English in meaning.
- Q: Which is better for goals? A: Attain is better for goals.
- Q: Can attain be used for objects? A: Rarely. Use obtain for objects; attain for levels/states.
- Q: Any quick test? A: If you can say achieve, use attain. If you can say get/procure, use obtain.
- Q: Is obtain formal in emails? A: Yes. Use obtain when you want a formal tone: Please obtain approval.
